Sammy Hagar is an incredibly successful rock star and businessman who wasn’t always “standing on top of the world.” Quite the opposite! Hagar grew up as one of four kids in a poor household held together by a single mom. “Right Now,” Hagar is in the process of helping others that find themselves in a similar predicament, by donating to local food banks around the country.
“My mom was always half on welfare or food stamps and would get in line during Thanksgiving or Christmas when people were giving away free turkeys. I grew up like that, and remembered how it made a big difference in our life,” says Hagar.
During this summer’s Four Decades of Rock tour, Hagar is donating money to the local food bank in each city where he performs. While many wealthy people simply write a check, Hagar’s approach to donating is more important than the actual dollar amount because he is raising awareness of a problem that is more prevalent in the United States than many people realize or choose to believe.
“Food banks in local communities are the biggest bang for the buck in my search for the simplest and most reliable way to help others,” states Hagar.
Red Rocker fans who attend the Four Decades of Rock tour this summer will be learn about their local food bank during the concert. “I redid the video for ‘Right Now’ to bring it up to date. I’m putting in information from each local food bank” states Hagar, who will also be showcasing video footage of people collecting food.
On August 31st, 10,000 fans will attend Hagar’s concert in St. Louis with free tickets that they received in exchange for a donation to specified St. Louis charities, including the local food bank. There was no stipulation as to how much each person had to donate to receive the ticket. According to Hagar, “You could pay $4 for those tickets, or $4,000.” The concept clearly resonated with fans, as all 10,000 tickets sold out in a matter of 20 minutes.
Although these charitable donations are tied into the tour supporting his upcoming album, Sammy Hagar & Friends, Hagar regularly donates proceeds from his Beach Bar & Grill restaurants to various charities through The Hagar Family Foundation.
Kudos to Sammy Hagar for being one of the good guys of rock & roll beyond the stage!
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