By Laurence Faure (Blogueuse) – http://www.hardforce.fr/actu/12563/eddie-van-halen-tire-dans-le-tas-, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Guitarist Eddie Van Halen is the true guitar hero. The 62-year-old musician donated 75 guitars to Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, a charity that provides nearly 1,800 instruments to schools without music programs every year, assisting around 10,000 low-income students annually.
Van Halen told CNN:
My whole life has been music. I could not imagine anything else. It’s a must. It has to be taught. It was very difficult at first to find a charity that [takes guitars]. They all just wanted money.
Eventually, Van Halen discovered Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. Program assistant Anne Hilbert tells Billboard:
Eddie Van Halen found us in 2011 after researching organizations who would take guitars and make sure they got into kids’ hands in needy schools. We were happy to do that, and he has been a supportive fan ever since.
The guitar donations are intended for students who want to pursue music more than a hobby but a career. Van Halen is making music a “safe haven” for children and jumpstarting their music dreams. Perhaps the next greatest guitar legend will be the ones who received a guitar thanks to Van Halen.