The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund received a surprise check from the 2014 Getaway Rock Festival for over $20,000. The Swedish festival, held last summer, featured sets from Slayer, Volbeat, Steel Panther and more than 50 other acts.

The festival used a cashless payment system for the first time. Fans used cash and credit cards to load money onto RFID chips in their festival wristbands. Concert-goers used the chips to pay for purchases at the event. At the end of the three-day festival, participants were given the choice of receiving a refund or donating the extra balance left on their account to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund.

The result of the donations was an astounding $20,133.13 generated for the fund, which was set up in memory of the late rock singer.

Wendy Dio, the late rocker's wife, released the following statement: “I cannot thank the organizers of the Getaway Rock Festival and all the wonderful fans enough for making this donation possible. It came as such a wonderful surprise, and every penny will go to cancer research so that one day we will find a cure for this terrible disease that takes so many of our loved one's lives. Ronnie would be so proud of you all."

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is dedicated to cancer prevention, research and education and is committed to raising money and awareness in hopes of finding a cure for the disease.

Ronnie James Dio was the legendary and powerful voice behind Dio, Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Heaven & Hell. He passed away on May 16, 2010 of gastric cancer. A series of events to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his passing are in the planning stages for May 2015. We will keep you posted.

To learn more about the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, click here.

Fans at the 2014 Getaway Rock Festival in Sweden

Fans at the 2014 Getaway Rock Festival
W3 Public Relations
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