Metallica donates $40K to Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank

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Metallica has announced they are donating $40,000 to Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank following a pair of sold-out shows at Rogers Centre last week.

The legendary rockers were in the city as part of their ongoing M72 World Tour for their lone Canadian show this year. It was their first local concert in nearly eight years.

The donation was made on behalf of Metallica’s All Within My Hands (AWMH) Foundation, which “aims to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported the band for years.”

Metallica’s $40,000 donation will enable Daily Bread Food Bank to provide about 40,000 meals to Torontonians in need and comes after the 2024 Who’s Hungry report revealed that more than 1-in-10 people in the city are relying on food banks.

“Learning that there is widespread food insecurity in Toronto reminds us just how many people are faced with making tough decisions and need assistance,” said Renée Richardson, Director of Philanthropy for AWMH. “We are thankful Daily Bread is there to bridge the gap for so many families.”

Neil Hetherington, CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank, said the financial gift will help the organization deal with the city’s unprecedented rise in food insecurity.

“We want to wholeheartedly thank the members of Metallica for this incredibly generous donation,” Hetherington said in a statement. “Right now, far too many are struggling, and these funds will help support food bank clients as the hunger crisis in our city reaches an all-time high. This gift means even more considering the band has a history of donating to the Daily Bread cause.”

It’s not the first time Metallica has generously donated to the local charity. Back in 2016, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers gave all ticket proceeds from their surprise Opera House show to the Daily Food Bank.

In a message on their website, drummer Lars Ulrich says that the quartet launched the All Within My Hands Foundation because they wanted to encourage their fans to give back to their own communities as well.

“For many years, Metallica gave back almost 100% under the radar. There was a natural transition to being ready to shout our endeavours loud and proud from every rooftop. So, we created our All Within My Hands Foundation. It feels like we’re on the path to something that is really making a difference,” he says.

Singer James Hetfield adds that he is “grateful” to be part of a band that “cares for all.”

Last summer, following their shows at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium, the metal outfit donated $100,000 from ticket sales to the Edmonton Food Bank and the women’s shelter WIN House.

Doug Thomson, a spokesperson for Edmonton’s Food Bank, told Global News the unexpected surprise “came out of nowhere.”

“(The woman said), ‘You are one of two organizations that will be receiving a donation from this foundation following Metallica’s two shows on the weekend,’” Thomson recounted. “It’s an incredible surprise to get a phone call like that, with a donation like that. That $50,000 came out of nowhere. We are very, very excited to have received it.”

Since Metallica’s latest world tour started in 2023, the All Within My Hands Foundation has left behind charitable offerings in each of the cities the band has played in.

This week, the heavy metal pioneers will link up with the American Red Cross to ask fans to donate blood ahead of their Nashville shows.

mdaniell@postmedia.com