The DJ concert in honor of David Gold who died of a fentanyl-laced overdose of heroin in June raised $10,000 for Hamilton's City of Angels.
HAMILTON - When Ronnie and Aaron Gold found out they collected more than double the amount of money they expected to at their Oct. 10 fundraiser for Hamilton's City of Angels, they were shocked.
Ronnie and Aaron Gold presented their $10,000 check - up from their $4,500 expectation - on Oct. 15 at the nonprofit's headquarters. The funds were presented to Kevin and Maryann Meara, founders of City of Angels, a nonprofit that helps people struggling with substance abuse.
"A one night event and a $10,000 check is something we've never witnessed," Kevin Meara said.
The DJ concert fundraiser held at Cedar Gardens was put on by John Rossi - of TN-Tertainment Disc Jockeys - who commemorated the event in honor of Ronnie and Aaron Gold's son David Gold.
David Gold was 45 when he died of a fentanyl-laced heroin overdose on June 16.
"About 500 people came out," Ronnie Gold said. "When I heard that number, I said 'Nah, no, never.' People were coming out of the woodwork."
Fellow DJ David Gold became close with Rossi in the 1990s.
"Davey and I go way back," Rossi said. "He was a great guy, always happy, always funny. He taught me a lot as a DJ."
Rossi brought international and local DJs out to the Oct. 10 event and said it would not be the last show of its kind.
In fact, Rossi told Councilman Kevin Meara that he would be donating proceeds from his upcoming Feb. 6 event at Cedar Gardens featuring 1980s singer Stevie B to City of Angels.
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Kevin Meara and wife Maryann Meara know all too well the pain of losing a child to heroin.
Their son KC Meara died of a heroin overdose on June 30, 2008 at the age of 24, which prompted them to start City of Angels.
"It's going to get harder before it gets better," Kevin Meara said to the Gold family. "Every family goes through their own healing process but even when times get really tough, we're an example that you can smile again."
Kevin Meara said the $10,000 check will help pay for medical, living, transportation fees and any other assistance the recovering addicts in their program need.
David Gold's sister Jodi Stephens, of Robbinsville, said at the presentation of the check that her brother was one of her "favorite people in the whole world."
Stephens said she wanted to keep hosting DJ events to keep her brother alive and to also spread awareness to addiction - a disease that affects so many but also one that many do not want to confront.
"No one had a more pure, cookie cutter family than ours," Stephens said. "If it can happen in our family, it can happen in anyone's."
Ronnie and Aaron Gold have another daughter Cyndi Wolf of Marlboro who helped with the event but was not present at the check donation.
David Gold's girlfriend Christiana Cortes - there with the Gold family to present the check to City of Angels - also helped organize the DJ event.
"David said he wanted to have these DJ benefits for City of Angels," Cortes said. "And with more time and money, he would have."
The family of David Gold unanimously agreed the Oct. 10 fundraiser was the first of many.
"It was a great success," Aaron Gold said.
Lindsay Rittenhouse may be reached at lrittenhouse@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
