Metallica's All Within My Hands Foundation donates $500K to LA wildfire relief efforts

California heavy metal legends Metallica are doing their part to combat the wildfires affecting the Los Angeles area, donating $500,000 through their All Within My Hands (AWMH) Foundation to help with relief and recovery efforts.

On its official website, AWMH announced that it would be giving $250,000 to the California Community Foundation (CCF) and another $250,000 to the Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF), with the money going into the two organizations' respective wildfire recovery funds. AWMH is also encouraging fans to donate to the CCF and PCF themselves.

A statement from the foundation reads as follows:

The fires raging in the Los Angeles area have relentlessly wreaked havoc and widespread destruction since January 7 and, sadly, do not show signs of slowing down. Despite containment progress over the weekend, officials warn residents to stay vigilant as the Santa Ana winds return and are expected to reach up to 70 MPH over the coming days, creating critical fire conditions. In the past week, the community has suffered at least 24 lives lost, nearly 100,000 people under evacuation orders, 40,000 acres burned, and more than 12,000 structures—commercial and residential—destroyed. However, numbers cannot articulate the magnitude of anguish as the disaster upends families and dismantles livelihoods.

Notably, while Metallica has often claimed San Francisco as their home, the band was originally formed in Los Angeles. Additionally, both lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist James Hetfield and bassist Robert Trujillo were born in the LA area, hailing from Downey and Santa Monica, respectively. That said, Metallica doesn't only lend a hand to help with disasters when they're happening in their own backyard. Back in early 2020, the band pledged $750,000 towards wildfire relief in Australia.

Furthermore, AWMH's purpose goes well beyond disaster relief. Metallica founded the organization in 2017 with the stated goal of "creating sustainable communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services."

Find further resources for LA fire victims here.