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The Black Keys unlock fans’ generosity
Published: December 12, 2011
AKRON, Ohio – Black Keys fans can now get first dibs on premium tour tickets while at the same time supporting mental health in the band’s hometown. Tickets-for-Charity announced Dec. 7 that Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney selected Community Support Services, an Akron, Ohio-based mental health agency, to receive proceeds from Black Keys concert tickets purchased through the Tickets-For-Charity.com website.
The band has set aside floor and lower-level tickets for the face value plus an additional donation amount. These special charity tickets will be available for each show on the Black Keys’ 2012 North American tour, including appearances in Cleveland, Boston, New York, Cincinnati and Columbus. Fans can purchase these tickets prior to when public ticket sales begin Dec. 9.
Two-thirds of the donations will support Community Support Services and its Black Keys Alfred McMoore Memorial Endowment Fund at Akron Community Foundation. The agency established this permanent funding source in 2010 to honor former client and outsider artist Alfred McMoore, whose oft-used phrase “black key” was adopted by Auerbach and Carney as the band’s name. The fund was begun with proceeds from the band’s benefit concert that honored McMoore, who suffered from schizophrenia and passed away in September 2009 at age 59.
Terry Dalton, executive director of Community Support Services, said he believes it is important to honor the band and McMoore by funding current programs as well as investing in the agency’s future. The permanent nature of the endowment fund ensures the agency will be around for years to come so it can help clients like McMoore live active and independent lives.
“Hidden beneath the mental illness, many of our clients have terrific talents, (including) artistic abilities,” Dalton said. “Through the Black Keys Alfred McMoore Memorial Endowment Fund, we hope to help clients embrace and cultivate these talents, not just today but for future generations.”
Tickets-for-Charity gives fans the opportunity to purchase premium seats while giving to causes they care about. Tickets for the Cleveland show on March 20 are $159.50.
Pre-sale charity tickets can be bought online at http://www.ticketsforcharity.com/pl/The-Black-Keys-Tickets-2012-Tour-Arctic-Monkeys. To learn more about the Black Keys Alfred McMoore Memorial Endowment Fund, contact Dr. Suzanne Allen, Akron Community Foundation’s vice president of development, at 330-376-8522.