New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

Springsteen Group Launches Food Bank Fundraiser In Honor Of Bruce's Birthday

By Gary Wien

originally published: 09/23/2016


(FREEHOLD, NJ) — Fans of Bruce Springsteen from around the world are sending him a special birthday present this year — they’re following his lead and raising money for The Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.  The fundraiser runs from Springsteen’s birthday on Friday, September 23 until Monday afternoon.

The idea comes from BRUCEBOOK a group on Facebook that has nearly 7,000 fans.  Their goal is to raise $6,700 in honor of Springsteen’s 67th birthday.  As of 8:00pm on Friday, they had raised over $3,000.  Since Springsteen has been a long-time supporter of community food banks (and has performed benefits for the Monmouth and Ocean Food Bank itself) this was the perfect cause.

Donating online or via phone is easy, but the group asks you to add a dedication to let the organization know this is part of the BRUCEBOOK fundraiser.

To donate, just go to foodbankmoc.org

you can donate by credit card, debit card, or paypal.

Make sure that in the box below 'I want my donation to be dedicated’  that you include your name, BRUCEBOOK, and Happy Birthday Bruce Springsteen.




Follow New Jersey Stage on social media
Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky



Donations may also be done by phone by calling 732-918-2600, Extension 5856.  Once again, Please tell the operator your name, BRUCEBOOK, and Happy Birthday Bruce Springsteen.

BRUCEBOOK is a closed group, but fans of Bruce Springsteen can request to join.  The group is always pleased to welcome new members and see its community grow.



About the Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean County

The FoodBank began in 1984 when a small group of people saw hunger at the Jersey Shore and decided to make a difference. They purchased a dilapidated warehouse in Spring Lake. Carpenters, masons and other members of the community donated work, office furniture and supplies. Food streamed in from hundreds of donors. After one year, the FoodBank was serving 25 charities with 100,000 pounds of food.

Ten years later, nearly two million pounds of food was being distributed annually from the same small warehouse. Bursting at the seams, the FoodBank undertook a capital campaign in 1998 to construct a new facility in Neptune. Three years later, the current 40,000 sq. ft facility became a reality.

PHOTO: Bruce Springsteen from Milan, Italy on July 3, 2016.  Photo by Henry Ruggeri.





Follow New Jersey Stage on social media
Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky



About the author:

Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station The Penguin Rocks. His personal website is at lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at [email protected].



You can have your events spotlighted here, whenever someone reads an article about FREEHOLD

click here for more information


EVENT PREVIEWS

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) presents Melissa Etheridge: Rise Tour on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 7:30pm. Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Etheridge has remained one of America's favorite female singers for more than two decades.
Prudential Center presents Ella Langley on September 10th

Prudential Center presents Ella Langley on September 10th

(NEWARK, NJ) -- It's been a landmark year for Ella Langley. Fresh off a sweep at the ACM Awards where she won all seven awards she was nominated for, two recent American Music Award wins, and being the soundtrack of the summer for a trio of German fans on Twitter traveling through America during the World Cup. Ella continues one of the most dominant runs in music. She brings The Dandelion Tour to the Prudential Center in Newark on September 10, 2026 at 7:00pm. Special guests ERNEST and Gabriella Rose will open the night.
The Soundtrack of Resilience: Explore Music

The Soundtrack of Resilience: Explore Music's Role in Post-9/11 America at the Lacey Library

(FORKED RIVER, NJ) -- In honor of Patriot Day, the Lacey Branch of the Ocean County Library will host "The Soundtrack of Resilience: Music and 9/11" on Thursday, September 10, 2026. The event begins at 2:00pm.
Tony Award Nominee Joshua Henry to open Kean Stage

Tony Award Nominee Joshua Henry to open Kean Stage's 2026-2027 season

(HILLSIDE, NJ) -- Kean Stage is thrilled to announce that Joshua Henry, three-time Tony nominee and star of Lincoln Center Theater's Ragtime, will open their 2026-2027 season with two performances of his show Get Up, Stand Up! on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm at Enlow Recital Hall (215 North Avenue) in Hillside.

Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center presents Country Icon Trace Adkins in September

(CARTERET, NJ) -- Multi-PLATINUM entertainer Trace Adkins will bring his 30th Anniversary Tour to the URSB Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center on Friday, September 18, 2026, for one night only. The show is part of Adkins' nationwide headline tour celebrating 30 years of chart-topping hits and powerhouse live performances. Showtime is 8:00pm.

The Levoy Theatre presents Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on September 22nd

(MILLVILLE, NJ) -- The Levoy Theatre presents Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on Wednesday, September 22, 2026 at 7:00pm. This year marked 33 years since the band arrived on the music scene.
NJPAC presents Salsa icon Tito Nieves on September 26th

NJPAC presents Salsa icon Tito Nieves on September 26th

(NEWARK, NJ) -- The internationally celebrated Salsa icon, Tito Nieves - affectionately known as "El Pavarotti de la Salsa" - is set to electrify the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 8:00pm with his tour, "50 Años La Historia... Continúa." The performance will take place at NJPAC's prestigious Prudential Hall, Betty Wold Johnson Stage.
New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2026 Includes a Concert Featuring Two Bands of Rutgers Students

New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2026 Includes a Concert Featuring Two Bands of Rutgers Students

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Hanging Coats and Lawns, part of New Brunswick's basement music scene, take the stage for an audio-visual performance on October 2 , 2026 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. A Rutgers student is injecting some sonic youth from the New Brunswick music scene into this year's New Jersey Fall Film Festival.
CarteretPAC presents W.A.S.P. with "1984 to Headless" Tour

CarteretPAC presents W.A.S.P. with "1984 to Headless" Tour

(CARTERET, NJ) -- W.A.S.P. brings its "1984 To Headless" Fall North American Tour to the Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 8:00pm. The band will pay tribute to their 1st Four Albums... Live! The lineup includes Special Guest KK's Priest.
Outpost in the Burbs presents James Maddock on October 11th

Outpost in the Burbs presents James Maddock on October 11th

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs presents James Maddock on Sunday, October 11, 2026 at the First Congregational Church in Montclair. Maddock's status as a fixture on the Folk and Americana scene is confirmed with every listen of any song in his prodigious catalog. Showtime is 7:30pm.

 

FEATURED EVENTS


Melissa Etheridge: RISE

Wednesday, September 09, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
Morristown, NJ


Dion

Thursday, September 10, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
Morristown, NJ


Moondance - Van Morrison Tribute

Friday, September 11, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton, NJ


The Australian Pink Floyd Show

Saturday, September 12, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
Morristown, NJ


The Nighthawks

Saturday, September 12, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton, NJ