California cancer charity event, Bowl For Ronnie (taking place Thursday, November 16, 2023 at PINZ Bowling Center in Studio City, California) has sold out for its second year running. The celebrity bowling party – featuring team members such as Dirk Verbeuren, Lita Ford, Gilby Clarke, and more – will be raising money for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fun. One determined eBay bidder, Doug Burgess of Tulsa, Oklahoma, will also join the team of Eddie Trunk.
The Annual Bowl For Ronnie Celebrity Bowling Party, benefiting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (https://www.diocancerfund.org), is set to return on Thursday, November 17, 2022 after a three-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. The event, to be held at PINZ Bowling Center in Studio City, California, will once again be hosted by television and radio personality Eddie Trunk, who is heard on SiriusXM’s Volume channel. The Bowl For Ronnie will feature a celebrity bowling tournament and a raffle drawing for prizes and memorabilia. The 2019 event sold out in advance and raised more than $50,000 for the cancer charity, which is now in its 13th year of raising awareness and much-needed funding for cancer research.
The Third Annual “Ride For Ronnie” Motorcycle Rally and Concert took place earlier last month and raised $40,000 for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. Attended by motorcycle enthusiasts and rockers by equal measure; bikers, bands, and fans young and old represented to raise money in memory for late heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell, and Rainbow fame, who passed away from Gastric Cancer in 2010. Continue reading
A passionate fan of late legendary singer and metal music icon Ronnie James Dio has started a petition at Change.Org, calling for the construction of a statue in his honor to be built in Porstmouth, NH. Dio was born and raised in Portsmouth. Metal fan Brian Kelly started the petition, which passed the 1000 signatures mark after just a few days and is fast closing in on the first milestone of 1500. The petition calls on the City Council and Mayor of Portsmouth to honor Dio as well. Using the hashtag #BuildDio, fans from all over the world have responded, even though Change.Org is a USA-based entity. Dio who passed away in 2010 from cancer at age 67 is widely known as one of the most talented and endearing vocalists ever in music, not just heavy metal. Singing for bands such as Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, and Heaven And Hell, he has been emulated and influenced by countless other artists. As a result there are numerous awards in his name, stages at metal festivals bare his mark, tribute bands and albums; and of course the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund charity as well.
There is currently no statue of Portsmouth native Ronnie James Dio, paragon of Rock and Roll, anywhere in Portsmouth.
Ronnie James Dio is a hero and a champion of art and deserves to be memorialized forever on his native soil. This petition is to help bring a statue, bust or memorial of Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona; July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010) to an agreed upon location in Prescott Park the South End of Portsmouth, NH
Dio was a musician that had, and still has, a great influence on many in the music industry. There are currently other towns and cities with Dio’s likeness, but at this time, his birthplace has nothing. Mr. Dio sold over 47 million albums in his life and is still selling today. He was a heavy hitter in bands like Elf, Rainbow, Dio, Black Sabbath and more. His contributions are undeniable. We have to do something.
This petition will help gauge and demonstrate interest in a tribute we can all agree upon. The tribute itself will be crowd or city funded (through provisions set aside in Portsmouth to pay for artistic installations) and multiple designs will be presented before asking for approval. We truly hope the city of Portsmouth will help us find the right tribute to one of the most influential musicians of our time.
We would like to set the statue in Prescott Park, the heart of the Arts in Portsmouth, honoring the legacy of this influential man. Preferably there would be a water feature on this memorialization considering our strong maritime tradition. We believe it should be constructed of metal (naturally). We would defer to the artists for all decisions, of course, and we are open to discussion.
We would love to see him him to be depicted as he was in the video for Holy Diver, sword in hand, ready to fight for the Arts and what is right. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkysjcs5vFU. We understand this might not coincide with the wishes of all, so we will of course work with the estate of Mr. Dio to determine how they would like him depicted.
Please consider signing. Throw up some horns with your other hand when you do.
The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund will be commemorate the 5th anniversary of the singer’s untimely death from gastric cancer on May 16, 2010 with a weekend of celebratory activities.
The following are the announced events:
MAY 15th: BOWL FOR RONNIE Celebrity Bowling Tournament
Pinz Bowling Center
12655 Ventura Boulevard
Studio City, CA 91604
Hosted by Eddie Trunk of VH1’s That Metal Show, this will be an evening of fun, food, entertainment and, of course, bowling with rock stars and celebrities competing for trophies in the name of raising funds and awareness for the Ronnie James Dio SUAS Cancer Fund. A silent auction will include collectible bowling pins autographed by artists such as Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, YES, Anthrax and Metallica and in addition to many more major items. Music will be provided by KNAC.com’s DJ Will.
BOWLING PRICES & INCENTIVES BREAKDOWN:
INDIVIDUAL GUEST (Non-Bowler)
($50 per person)
Event entrance for one, Two drink tickets, All you can eat pizza
INDIVIDUAL GUEST (Non-Bowler)
($50 per person)
Event entrance for one, Two drink tickets, All you can eat pizza
INDIVIDUAL BOWLER
($75 per person)
Event entrance for one, Two drink tickets, All you can eat pizza, Shoe rental & bowling
TEAM/ CORPORATE LANE
($1,500 one lane with 6 bowlers)
Show off your team skills and charitable spirit. Gather your friends or represent your company with this fun package deal. Trophies and bragging rights for the ages. Lane for 6 bowlers including shoe rental, your company or team name added to three day event program, your company or team logo displayed on your lane and throughout event on flat screens, pizza and 2 drink tickets per person. Lane purchase includes 2 VIP party passes, (Additional VIP
party passes sold separately up to 6 per lane)
MAY 16: Ronnie James Dio 5th Year Memorial Service
and Celebration of Ronnie’s Music
Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills
6300 Forest Lawn Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90068
MAY 16: Ronnie James Dio 5th Year Memorial Service
and Celebration of Ronnie’s Music
Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills
6300 Forest Lawn Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90068
MORE INFO: http://www.diocancerfund.org/events/
A FREE public Memorial Service will take place at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills on Saturday, May 16 to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of Ronnie’s passing. Several former band members and friends who worked with Ronnie over his illustrious career are expected to speak and perform his music. As seating for this event is limited, if you are interested in attending, please send an email, along with your name, phone number and the number of seats to: info@diocancerfund.org
MAY 17: RIDE FOR RONNIE Motorcycle Ride and BBQ
Harley-Davidson of Glendale
3717 San Fernando Rd
Glendale, CA 91204
TO
Los Encinos State Historic Park
16756 Moorpark Street
Encino, CA 91436
BBQ & Live Music
12:00pm to 5:00pm
Album Artwork by Mark Sasso
Tenacious D’s Grammy winning track “The Last In Line” was recorded to honor one of the greatest and most recognizable voices in heavy metal and hard rock but to assist in raising funds for a very important cause.
Ronnie James Dio is one of the most beloved figures in rock and metal history, known for fronting legendary groups such as Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and of course, Dio. Sadly, in 2010, Dio lost his battle with stomach cancer. The indisputable fact that his towering voice and legacy live on is solidified again with this past Sunday’s “Best Metal Performance” Grammy win for his classic track “The Last In Line”, re-recorded in homage to the singer/songwriter by Billboard chart-topping group Tenacious D (featuring Jack Black and Kyle Gass).
The Grammy award-winning track “The Last In Line” appears on the Ronnie James Dio’s This Is Your Life tribute album, a compilation recorded and released last year to raise funds for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (www.diocancerfund.org). This Is Your Life features an all-star group of Dio’s friends and fans performing 13 of their favorite Ronnie James Dio tracks. The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable fund dedicated to supporting cancer-prevention research, raising awareness and educating the public about the vital importance of early detection and prevention, and was co-founded by Dio’s longtime manager and wife, Wendy Dio. 100% of the monies received from this album by the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund goes directly into cancer research. So far from the sale of This Is Your Life, the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund has raised $132,000 towards cancer research.