Ronnie James Dio 5th Anniversary Memorial Events Announced

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, founded in memory of the voice of Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio, is planning a weekend of activities in Los Angeles to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the singer's untimely death from gastric cancer on May 16th, 2010.

The weekend will include a public memorial service, as well as a celebrity bowling tournament and the inaugural "Ride For Ronnie" motorcycle ride and BBQ.

A free public memorial service will take place at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills on Saturday, May 16th to mark the 5th anniversary of Ronnie's passing. Several former band members and friends who worked with Ronnie over his illustrious career are expected to speak and perform his music. As seating for this event is limited, if you are interested in attending, please send an email, along with your name, phone number, and the number of seats to: info@diocancerfund.org.

The weekend will kick off on Friday, May 15th with a Celebrity Rock 'n Bowl tournament at Pinz Bowling Center in Studio City. It will be a fun evening of bowling, entertainment and a silent auction, which will include bowling pins autographed by Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Yes, Anthrax, Metallica and many others.

All events lead up to the inaugural "Ride For Ronnie" motorcycle ride and BBQ on Sunday, May 17th. Riders will depart from Harley-Davidson of Glendale and ride to Los Encinos Park in Encino, where they will be treated to food, live music, raffle/silent auction and more. Fans who don't ride are welcome to attend just the BBQ.

A privately funded 501c3 charity organization dedicated to cancer prevention, research and education, the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund has already raised close to $1 million in its short history. Monies raised have been committed to the cancer research work of the T. J. Martell Foundation for Cancer, AIDS and Leukemia Research, and the gastric cancer research unit of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where Ronnie was treated for gastric cancer during the last six months of his life.