INSPIRED BY NERGAL’S PLIGHT, METAL FANS AROUND THE U.S. ORGANIZE BONE MARROW DRIVES TO RAISE LEUKEMIA AWARENESS

Two things you can’t take away from metal: it is truly a brotherhood, and a DIY community. And so, inspired by Nergal’s recent battle against leukemia and his call for awareness of the need of bone marrow donors, our friend Rich Hall at 1000 Knives suggested to both us and our pals at Metal Injection that we hold a bone marrow drive at our upcoming CMJ showcase in October. We were in the process of finalizing details when we learned that some our fellow headbangers were doing the same in Stamford, CT and Los Angeles.

This is obviously a great cause that goes beyond just Nergal; it would be terrific if one of these drives found him a donor, but, really, he’s just the inspiration here, and it’s the chance to save a life, period. Get all the details on all three drives after the jump. And if you’re organizing another one in your area, please let us know and we’ll add it to this list.

• THE NYC AREA DRIVE will take place at the MetalSucks/Metal Injection/1000 Knives CMJ showcase on Wednesday, October 20 at Club Europa in Brooklyn. It will be administered by The Icla da Silva Foundation, Inc., and the table will be set up near the merch area. Participants will be asked to fill out a form detailing some of their medical history, and then a swab will be taken from inside the cheek to determine whether or not they are an eligible donor. There will also be educational pamphlets available for concert goers who want to learn more. And, of course, performances by A Life Once Lost, Car Bomb, This or The Apocalypse, Baptized in Blood, and Last Chance to Reason… which is a terrific bonus.
• THE LOS ANGELES AREA DRIVE will take place on Sunday, October 17 at Dark Realm Records in Downey, CA, from 1 – 4 pm. It is a completely free event that will be administered by Be the Match. Again, participants will be asked to fill out some paperwork, and a swab will be taken from inside the cheek. You can get additional details here, or via the flyer at the top of this article.
• THE STAMFORD, CT DRIVE will take place on Sunday, November 14 at Fritz’s Cycle Haus from noon to 4 or possibly 5 pm, depending on the turnout. This event will also be administered by Be the Match, and was organized by Steven Kolenberg, a high school senior who is clearly a good apple if ever there was one. Plans are underway for there to be a cookout, possibly metal karaoke, and hopefully a show after the drive. Additional details of this drive will be forthcoming; in the meantime, Kolenberg urges people to register to be a donor online if you can’t attend in person. There’s also a Facebook page for the event, and you can contact Steven for additional details at urgehal666 AT hotmail DOT com. He’ll also be doing some promotion at two upcoming shows — Immolation/Vader on September 30 in Farmington, NY as well as Black Dahlia Murder on October 1 in Hartford, CT — so stop by and say hello if you can.

If you live near one of these three events, it’s imperative you go — again, not just for Nergal, but for people afflicted with leukemia around the country and the world. Let’s all band together and prove that music really can save lives.