ALBANY, NY, ASHEVILLE, NC and CHICAGO, IL - Several major players within the drum industry have joined forces with the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund and donated an impressive array of custom drums, drum kits and other items with an estimated value of nearly $30,000 for a drawing and giveaway to honor the memory of pioneering drum builder and designer, Dennis Stauffer.

The Love Your Drums Fundraiser will be based around the Chicago Drum Show in mid-May and will have an Internet home on the DrumART website. The fundraiser will support the family of Stauffer, who was killed in a January car crash in North Carolina.

The drawing and giveaway will feature nearly 40 snare drums and three full drumkits including a rare and beautiful complete Ash stave drumkit, a C&C Custom Drums cocktail drumkit, myriad one-ply, stave, segment and ply wood snare drums, and even a number of acrylic and metal snare drums including aluminum and seamless cast bell brass.

People wishing to enter the drawing can make a donation to the fund on the fundraiser website at https://www.sweetrelief.org/dennis-stauffer-family-fund/ or in person at the Chicago Drum Show. Donors of $10 or more will automatically be entered into the May 20 drum drawing and earn one drawing entry for every $10 donated. (Winners will be notified by phone or e-mail after the drawing and do not need to be present to win.)

What's more, nearly all donated items will be available for viewing in the Tribute to Dennis Stauffer Booth at the west end of the West Hall at the Chicago Drum Show being held at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles, Ill. on May 19 and 20, 2012.

Dennis Stauffer, founder of Stauffer Percussion and Phattie Drums, was killed in an automobile crash in Fairview, N.C. in mid-January. Stauffer, who was 32, is survived by his wife, Brittney Stauffer, and son Roan, 1. Roan was involved in the crash but was not seriously injured. The family lives in Asheville, N.C.

The tragic accident stunned and saddened a group of Stauffer's friends and colleagues connected with the online drum builders' community, Ghostnote.net. Using the online forum, the group agreed to build and give away a number of custom-made snare drums and full drum kits, each with a unique badge honoring Stauffer.

All drums, kits and materials were donated by industry sources including many custom drum builders who knew Dennis Stauffer, several drum hardware suppliers and Aquarian Drumheads which provided drum heads for all drums built for the initiative. In addition, DrumART.com has committed to match the first $500 of money raised in the Love Your Drums Fundraiser. The money raised will be used to support Stauffer's family in their time of need.

"Dennis was a true pioneer and very well liked within the custom drum-building community. He was friendly, trustworthy and had a unique sense of humor. The amazing array of items donated for this giveaway is a testament to how much of an impact Dennis made on the people who knew him," said Jim Feck, owner and founder of DrumART.com, based near Albany, N.Y.

Dennis was well known for his quality craftsmanship and commitment to innovation. In 2003, Stauffer provided various shell designs to the staff at the Physics Department at the University of Illinois, who mapped the physical differences in energy transfer between a drumhead and shell using different bearing edges. That information helped inform his future drum designs and contributed to the growth of Stauffer Percussion and Phattie Drums.

"Dennis was a very active and beloved member of our community," said Bob Rodriguez, Ghostnote.net Advisory Board member. "Ghostnote is known as a community where members freely share information and knowledge with each other. Dennis' insight and skill was a great asset to Ghostnote, and his loss has been felt deeply by all of us. We hope that this initiative will be a fitting tribute to his life and legacy."

The Love Your Drums Fundraiser was named after Stauffer's personal and professional motto, "Love your drums."

FOR MORE INFORMATION, INTERVIEW REQUESTS AND PHOTOS OR VIDEOS

    Jim Feck, Owner, DrumART.com - [email protected] or (518) 595-4789

    Bob Rodriguez, Ghostnote.net Advisory Board - [email protected] or (909) 917-5823

RESOURCES

    Read an account of the deadly crash here: http://findmyaccident.com/north-carolina/2012/01/19/dennis-stauffer-32-dies-in-three-car-wreck-on-u-s-74a-in-asheville/.

    See a news report from North Carolina's WLOS ABC News 13 that features the Stauffer family here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=569pqdzKl9w.

    Read Dennis Staufferâ??s obituary here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/roanoke/obituary.aspx?n=dennis-jay-stauffer&pid=155552513.

    Visit the website of Stauffer Percussion and Phattie Drums here: http://www.staufferpercussion.com.

About Stauffer Percussion and Phattie Drums

http://www.staufferpercussion.com

Phattie Drums and Stauffer Percussion makes a series of handcrafted snare drums called Phattie Drums, Black Label Drums, Cocktail Drums, Steam Bent and Sounds Like Art. It was founded in Blacksburg, Va., in 2000 and, after years of steady growth, moved to Asheville, N.C. in 2008.  The company prides itself a tradition of quality, innovation, and craftsmanship.

About Ghostnote.net

http://www.ghostnote.net

Ghostnote.net is the premier online community for custom drum builders developed by artist Eric Warman. Ghostnote originated in 2004 as an educational resource and showcase for the hobby drum builder and has grown into a thriving online community and Web forum supporting both professionals and hobbyists. Forum members have also established The Ghostnote Collective, a group of drum builders who regularly contribute time, materials and expertise to help drummers, music programs and in others in need.

About DrumART.com

http://www.drumart.com

DrumART.com is a custom printed bass drumhead manufacturer based in Altamont, NY.  Founded in 1997, DrumART has designed and created more than 10,000 custom bass drumheads for bands and musicians worldwide. The company prides itself on top-quality printing, sterling service, extremely fast turnaround times and, above all, exceptional sound.

About Sweet Relief Musicians Fund

http://www.sweetrelief.org

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. Sweet Relief was founded by singer-songwriter Victoria Williams in 1993. Victoria, while on a career-making tour with Neil Young was forced to drop off mid-schedule after experiencing unexplained debilitating symptoms. A long and painful diagnostic process revealed she had multiple sclerosis. After her diagnosis, a group of friends assembled an all-star album of Victoriaâ??s songs, Sweet Relief, which alleviated much of her medical debt.

About The Chicago Drum Show

http://www.rebeats.com/drumshows_start_page.html

The Chicago Drum Show is the world's largest and longest-running event of its kind. It is a swap-meet, a drum expo, and an entertainment event. There are clinics, demonstrations, raffles, classes, and over 30,000 square feet of exhibits including new, used, vintage and custom drums, cymbals, and related accessories.