JCB has formed a long-term partnership with multi-GRAMMY award-winning musician and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joe Walsh and his 501(c)3 non-profit veterans organization and annual benefit festival, VetsAid. The partnership will raise awareness and funds for U.S. veterans through rock and roll and the process of rebuilding.
JCB often deploys its machines in war-torn regions, playing a crucial role in the rebuilding process after conflicts. Recognizing their shared values and goals, Alice Bamford and Ann Eysenring of the JCB family company, reached out to their friends Joe and Marjorie Walsh and devised a partnership to generate additional funds for American veterans.
The creative partnership kicks off with the official premiere of "Dig It" – an original song by Joe Walsh, debuting in London on July 13 during Monster Jam. This song, also featuring Joe's brother-in-law Ringo Starr on drums, will be the soundtrack for JCB's DIGatron and serve as a call to action to support VetsAid. Inspired by Alice and Ann's eight-year-old son Otis, a monster truck enthusiast himself, Joe sought to capture the excitement of a child and the raw energy of monster truck action in his composition.
Additionally, JCB has pledged $250,000 to VetsAid to kick off the partnership. Supporters can also look out for limited-edition merchandise, a special JCB DIGatron toy, and a limited-edition JCB machine, with a percentage of sales benefiting the non-profit organization.
"It is absolutely amazing to be working with Joe Walsh to raise further awareness for U.S. veterans," said Alice. "This is a legacy project between two families which will help give veterans and their families in the U.S. a better future, and offer them the care and support they deserve, which is something very close to all our hearts."
Veterans and their families have always been important to Joe, a Gold Star son himself who lost his father, Robert Newton Fidler, a U.S. Army Air Corps flight instructor for the first American operational jet-powered aircraft, while he was on active duty over Okinawa when Joe was only 20 months old.
"VetsAid isn't just about raising money and awareness for America's veterans and their families," Joe commented. "It's also about finding common ground amongst music-lovers of all backgrounds and coming together to build and rebuild communities around a shared love of country. It's a privilege for us at VetsAid to expand upon this vision with Alice and Ann, and our friends at JCB, and to keep the party going with this kick-ass new song and exciting partnership!"
