John Mellencamp Donates Tickets & Meet to 1Matters Walk
Toledo, OH. October 19, 2010 – “John Mellencamp continues to be impressed at how
our community comes together, and continues to support us for that effort. The media community coming together is another example,” said Ken Leslie, founder of 1Matters and long-time advocate for the unhoused.
In a show of unity, nearly every local media outlet in Toledo has come together to
sponsor the inaugural walk, 1Mile Matters, held “on 10/30 at 10:30” during the annual
Tent City weekend.
Leslie says the singer is also responding to a need that is greater than ever. According
to HUD, due to foreclosures and job losses, the number of families with children on the
streets and in the shelters is up 30% since 2007.
The Grammy award winning singer has produced several television and radio Public
Service Announcements for Tent City and the 1Mile Matters Walk, which are currently
airing on all Toledo television stations and most area radio stations.
Mellencamp has also donated, for the top fundraiser in the walk, a “John Mellencamp
No Better Than This VIP Package,” which includes meeting the artist and 4 tickets to his
November 19th concert at the Fox Theater in Detroit.
According to the singer’ s publicist, Bob Merlis, Mellencamp is committed to working
with 1Matters to help all of those who have lost domestic autonomy in our nation.
“John was quite moved seeing the entire community come together during his visit to
Tent City in Toledo. We hope this is the beginning of something larger. If this inaugural
walk is successful, I could see 1Mile Matters replicated in other cities next year,” Merlis
commented.
Leslie says the goal is simple. “In reality, the entire Mellencamp team is helping us
export the compassion John felt in Toledo to other cities. Our goal is simple, to change
the world, one at a time.”
Leslie finished by quoting Mellencamp in the psa, “ ‘ Everyone matters, don’ t they?’ ”
1Matters - Tent City takes place October 29th to 31st at Civic Center Mall.
1Mile Matters takes place on 10/30 at 10:30, starting in Promenade Park.
Contact:
Ken Leslie – 419.349.4969 [email protected]
Bob Merlis – 323.962.6887 [email protected]
Walk Supporting Sponsors
Cherry Street Mission Ministries
First Solar
Mercy Health Partners
Mildred Bayer Clinic for the Homeless
Toledo Area Ministries
Trinity Episcopal
Walk Media Sponsors
Buckeye CableSystem, Cumulus Toledo, Glass City Jungle, K100, Sojourners Truth, Star
105, The Ticket (ESPN), Toledo.com, Toledo Blade, Toledo Free Press, Toledo Streets,
WMIM, WNWO, WRQN, WSPD, WXKR, WTOL, WTO5, WTVG, WUPW, YES –
FM, The Zone 100.7
About 1Matters
At 1Matters we just want to change the world, 1 at a time. We use the numeral 1 because
it signifies an individual not a statistic. On any given night 640,000 American 1's,
1 daughter, 1 son, 1 brother, 1 sister, 1 mother or 1 father to some 1, who have lost
domestic autonomy, are living on our streets and in our shelters. But the 1 who can
Matter the most right now is YOU! Your power and influence can and does change lives,
change the world right where you are. What will you do today to Matter to some 1?
1Matters is a non-profit 501(c)3 and all proceeds will be used to help create employment,
education, and services to help the unhoused regain financial and domestic autonomy.
About John M ellencamp
John Mellencamp’ s career in music has spanned more than 35 years during which time he
transitioned from pre-fab pop idol to one of the most highly regarded mature songwriters
of a generation.
Mellencamp fell in love with music at an early age and was fronting a soul band in
his native Indiana by the time he was 14. He would go on to release 26 albums with
domestic sales exceeding 40 million units. He has been nominated for 13 Grammys,
was recipient of Billboard’ s Century Award, ASCAP Foundation’ s Champion Award,
The Woody Guthrie Award, Q’ s Classic Songwriter Award, The Americana Music
Association's Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting and was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mellencamp has amassed 22 Top 40 hits and holds the record for the most tracks by a solo artist to hit #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks
Chart. The social activism that is reflected in his songs was one of the key catalysts that
launched Farm Aid, the concert series and organization that has addressed the struggle
of American family farmers for more than 25 years. The unique instrumentation of his
band and overall approach is widely credited with being the forbear of the Americana/No
Depression genre of rural-inflected music.
Mellencamp is an accomplished painter whose work has been the focus of several one-
man gallery exhibitions as well as a joint showing with Miles Davis. He has been
working, in collaboration with Stephen King, on a play with music entitled Ghost Brothers
of Darkland County that will be directed for the stage by Liv Ulmann.
On break days during his 2009 national tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, he
recorded No Better Than This, produced by T Bone Burnett and released by Rounder
Records.
Press Release Contact Name: Ken Leslie
Press Release Contact Email: [email protected]
Organization Name: 1Matters