Metallica Donates $500,000 to Community-Focused Nonprofit Organizations to Help with Wildfire Relief

Wildfires have been ripping across Southern California and the Los Angeles area since January 7. So far, the fires have taken 24 lives and destroyed more than 40,000 acres. Additionally, thousands of structures have been reduced to ash while tens of thousands of residents are under evacuation orders. In response to the tragedy, Metallica is donating $500,000 to local relief efforts through the All Within My Hands Foundation.

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With more than four decades at the forefront of thrash metal, Metallica is a global entity. However, that doesn’t mean the band’s members stopped thinking locally. While the band has been based out of San Francisco since its early days and its members call the Bay Area home, it all started in Southern California. James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich put together the earliest incarnation of the band in Los Angeles in the early ‘80s.

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Yesterday (January 13), the band’s All Within My Hands Foundation announced that it would be donating a total of $500,000 to a pair of local charitable organizations carrying out relief efforts in the impacted area. The California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund and the Pasadena Community Foundation’s Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund will each receive half of the generous donation.

How Metallica’s $500K Donation Will Be Put to Use

According to Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation, “The California Community Foundation (CCF) has a long history of ensuring resources reach those most in need.” The CCF works with community-based organizations and government entities to help prioritize underserved communities. Its Wildfire Recovery Fund will provide immediate relief and address long-term recovery needs including housing, case management, mental health, and medical care for those displaced by the wildfires.

“The Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) has established the Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery fund. A smaller agency, PCF is entrenched within the community, poised to leverage connections with civic and nonprofit leaders to ensure its aid reaches those who need it most,” according to the AWMHF website. The Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund will provide immediate aid to those impacted by the fires as well as assist with rebuilding and recovery after the smoke clears.

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