Two of rock and metal biggest names have stepped up for Venezuela in the wake of the disaster that has devastated the country. Rush and Metallica have each rolled out separate relief efforts — a limited-run charity shirt and a six-figure grant, respectively — aimed at getting help to the millions of people affected by the recent earthquakes.
On June 24, back-to-back tremors measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the La Guaira region and surrounding areas roughly forty seconds apart, and the aftermath has only grown more severe since. More than 600 aftershocks have followed, complicating rescue work, and the confirmed death toll has now climbed past 2,000, with over 11,000 people injured and both figures expected to rise. Tens of thousands were reported missing in the first days after the quakes, and the United Nations estimates that as many as 6.8 million Venezuelans may be affected in some way, whether through displacement or the loss of power and water. Among the dead were all four members of up-and-coming Venezuelan nu-metal band Van Der Dijs, killed when their rehearsal building collapsed.
Rush‘s contribution came through a longtime creative partner. David Calcano, the Venezuelan director behind the studio Fantoons, which has worked with Rush for over a decade, reached out to the band as the crisis unfolded in his home country, and they signed on without hesitation to collaborate on a one-off shirt to raise money for those affected.
Every dollar of profit from the shirt goes directly to Hogar Bambi, a charity that has spent nearly 30 years sheltering orphaned and abandoned children across Venezuela and is now working to care for the youngest victims of the disaster. The limited-edition design, priced at $40, is available for a short window only, and orders are expected to begin shipping on or around August 7. Fans can find it through Fantoons and hellomerch.
The gesture arrives during a turbulent stretch for Rush, who recently postponed two Fort Worth shows on their ongoing reunion tour after frontman Geddy Lee was diagnosed with laryngitis and bronchitis.
Metallica, meanwhile, are putting money on the ground through their All Within My Hands foundation, which is granting $100,000 to earthquake relief in Venezuela via its longtime partner Direct Relief.
Working alongside regional and local agencies, Direct Relief is mobilizing emergency medical aid and backing search-and-rescue operations. That includes emergency funding to help deploy Bomberos Unidos Sin Fronteras, a Spain-based search-and-rescue outfit, to assist on the ground. The organization is also readying medical supplies typically needed after earthquakes — first-aid kits, hygiene items for displaced families, medicines for acute injuries, and chronic-disease medications for people whose routine care has been cut off.
Early damage estimates underline the scale of the response required. NASA‘s satellite analysis suggests close to 60,000 buildings may have been damaged or destroyed, and the Venezuelan Red Cross has said it expects to be meeting the needs of at least 300,000 people over the next two years. All Within My Hands‘ grant will support Direct Relief as it continues responding to requests across the region as they emerge.
