RONNIE JAMES DIO STAND UP AND SHOUT CANCER FUND
CELEBRATES DIO’S BIRTHDAY WITH SPECIAL VIDEO
Rock Celebrities Talk About What Ronnie James Dio Means to Them

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (www.diocancerfund.org), founded
in memory of the late rock legend, will commemorate what would have been Dio’s 78th
birthday on July 10 with a video in which rock music celebrities talk about what Ronnie and
his music has meant to them. Dio lost his months-long battle with gastric cancer 10 years
ago, and the charity founded after his passing has raised more than $2 million to fight the
disease that took his life.
Largely compiled from red carpet interviews with celebrity guests at various Dio Cancer Fund
events, including the 10th Anniversary Awards Gala held at the Avalon in Hollywood in
February just before the pandemic shutdown, the video contains special video messages
from Rob Halford and Geezer Butler, who were close friends of Dio’s. Among those also
expressing their thoughts are Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Rudy Sarzo, Craig Goldy, Scott
Warren, Simon Wright and Vinny Appice of the Dio band, Fred Coury, Robbie Crane and
Ricky Warwick of Black Star Riders, Ahmet Zappa, Joey Vera, Glenn Hughes, Jeff Pilson,
Doug Aldrich, Terry Ilous and Eddie Trunk, who hosts most of the Dio Cancer Fund events.
The video can be viewed on the Dio Cancer Fund’s newly redesigned website at
https://diocancerfund.org/ or on YouTube:

View video here:
https://youtu.be/ObiwSnc2RwQ

In addition to its two annual events plus gala dinners more intimate fund-raising efforts and, of
course, direct support from the vast community of Dio fans worldwide, the Dio Cancer Fund
was also the beneficiary of proceeds from the 2014 Platinum-selling tribute album called
THIS IS YOUR LIFE containing songs written by Ronnie James Dio that were recorded and
donated by major rock and metal recording artists. The THIS IS YOUR LIFE album resulted
in a 2015 Grammy™ win for Best Metal Performance for Tenacious D (actor/musicians Jack
Black and Kyle Gass) and their rendition of Ronnie James Dio’s “The Last in Line” from the
tribute album.
Dr. David Wong, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, UCLA School of Dentistry and
Director for UCLA Center for Oral/Head & Neck Oncology Research (COOR), was among the
honorees at this year’s 10th Anniversary Awards Gala. He and his dedicated team of
researchers have been developing a simple, non-invasive saliva swab test for the early
detection of specific cancers, a concept that is tailor-made for the Dio Cancer Fund’s
mission. He believes this simple test, called a liquid biopsy, can and should become part of
any routine physical examination conducted in a primary care physician’s office. During his
acceptance speech at the Gala, Dr. Wong announced that the financial support from the Dio
Cancer Fund had resulted in their research obtaining $8.2 million in additional funding from
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and that he expected a saliva test with “the ability to
screen for the earliest sign of gastric cancer” will be available for medical use within the next
three years.
In its early stages, the Dio Cancer Fund committed funds over a three-year period to specific
gastric cancer research at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston where Ronnie James
Dio was treated for the last six months of his life. Additionally, the Dio Cancer Fund donated
seed money to the Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, via its relationship with the T.J.
Martell Foundation, to support research for a blood test to detect gastric and esophageal
cancers that the hospital was able to parlay into a multi-million-dollar grant from the NIH.
Ronnie James Dio, the world-renowned voice behind such iconic heavy metal bands as Black
Sabbath, Rainbow, Heaven and Hell and his own band, Dio, valiantly battled gastric cancer
for some six months after a devastating terminal diagnosis. The Dio Cancer Fund, created in
his memory, has made it its mission to help eradicate this disease through education and by
association with ground-breaking research into early detection. As Dio Cancer Fund’s
Founder/President Wendy Dio regularly says: “Early Detection Saves Lives.”
* * * * *

View the 10th Anniversary Highlights Video:
https://youtu.be/uL-lJ0TQRtQ
Merchandise from the 10th Anniversary Awards Gala, including
programs, posters, teeshirts, totebags and masks, is available
for purchase at: https://diocancerfund.3dcartstores.com/

Donations can be made at: www.diocancerfund.org/donate
For further information, please contact:
Sharon Weisz, W3 Public Relations,
323-934-2700, w3pr@yahoo.com
www.w3publicrelations.com
Maria Ferrero, Adrenaline PR
732-462-4262, maria@adrenalinepr.com