‘Battle Of Bands’ Target: 60,000 Meals

New York -- The 15th annual “Media Battle of the Bands” fundraiser Thursday night will lead to the serving 60,000 meals to homebound elderly here while also providing a musical outlet for hard-working cable and ad agency executives.

The event at B.B. King Blues Club, in Times Square, at 6.p.m. has a hefty list of close to 40 sponsors. (Tickets are available only from the event’s sponsors, not individually.) The quality of the cause -- support for Citymeals-on-Wheels, an organization that delivers 3 million meals a year to 18,000 homebound elderly in the city -- has led to $370,000 in contributions for this year’s event, according to organizers.

That’s enough to pay for more than 60,000 meals -- surpassing the goal of paying for 55,000 meals, according to organizers. It also surpasses last year’s $344,000 haul, which compared with $44,000 the first year of the event (1993). 

Performing will be five bands—B.J. Arnold, “Paper Doll,” “Captain Delicious,” “Men with Big Hips,” and “The Creamsicles”—all comprised of cable network and ad agency professionals who moonlight as musicians in this effort to raise money for Citymeals. 

Along with some six hours of rock, funk and blues music, a wide array of  food will be on hand, donated by Lucille’s.

Since 1993, the Battle of the Bands has raised more than $3 million for Citymeals. All money donated from the public to Citymeals goes toward the preparation and delivery of meals for homebound elderly.

The event’s sponsors make up a lengthy list: A&E Television Networks; ABC Family; Active International; BET; Bloomberg L.P.; Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau; CBS; Comcast Networks; The CW Television Network; DirecTV; Discovery Communications; ESPN Customer Marketing and Sales; Fox Cable Networks; Fox News Channel/Fox Business Network; Fuse TV; Gospel Channel; GroupM; Hallmark Channel; Harris Software Systems, Inc; Icon International; ION; Invision; Lifetime Networks; Management Science Associates; MediaVest Worldwide; Monroe Mendelsohn Research; MTV Networks; NBC Universal; NFL/NFL Network; NHL Network; The Nielsen Company; Nielsen Media Research; Outdoor Channel; Rainbow Media; ReelzChannel; Scripps Networks; SOAPnet; Sony; SQAD Inc.; Superstation WGN; Tribune New York Foundation; Turner Broadcasting Systems; TV Guide Television Group; TV One and The Weather Channel.  

Media partners include BMultichannel News, Broadcasting & Cable,Adweek, Brandweek, Media Life, Media Post, Mediaweek and Television Week.