Mission Statement
Rock to the Rescue is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by rock bands Styx and REO Speedwagon. Our mission is to build strong, healthy communities through the support of grassroots causes across the country.Values
“All this time our main goal has been to engage people and lift their spirits through our music, but now we realize that we can also come together and engage them in doing good for their communities and for the world. It’s the same kind of inertia that happens with music; it all starts with an idea, and that idea grows into something that has the power to inspire change.”
— Tommy Shaw on Rock to the Rescue
What makes Rock to the Rescue so unique is that we work on a grassroots level with small groups, giving support to real individuals who are creating positive changes in their communities. Rock to the Rescue is building initiatives in the areas of music education, animal welfare, and health and well being. Rock to the Rescue also provides essential relief funds in times of disaster and tragedy; in 2013 Rock to the Rescue gave over $500,000 in disaster aid to causes such as the Boston Marathon victims fund and the Illinois Tornado victims fund.
History
In 2001, Styx and REO Speedwagon founded Rock to the Rescue in an effort to provide support to families of 9/11 victims. Playing a series of benefit concerts that included friends such as Bad Company and Foreigner, Rock to the Rescue raised $775,000 for the support of families who had lost loved ones to the 9/11 tragedy. Realizing the power of these efforts, Styx and REO went on to play shows to benefit additional causes such as music education for children, and continued to engage in charitable giving in communities around the country. In 2012, Styx took Rock to the Rescue to the road full-time in an effort to provide support to every community in which they perform. In 2014, Styx took Rock to the Rescue to the road in order to build on the team effort to support our communities.