WhyHunger’s 50th Anniversary Hungerthon Benefit Docu-Concert
Featured Performances From Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt & The Disciples of Soul with Marc Ribler, Sameer Gadhia & Eric Cannata from Young the Giant, Yola, The Harry Chapin Band & More
At The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ On December 14
Download Photos HERE
Tuesday, December 16 – On Sunday night, WhyHunger’s 50th Anniversary Hungerthon Benefit Docu-Concert featured performances from Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt & The Disciples of Soul with Marc Ribler, Sameer Gadhia & Eric Cannata from Young the Giant, Yola and more at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, which raised more than $200,000.
Founded by Harry Chapin and Bill Ayres in 1975, the organization celebrated five decades of fighting to end food insecurity and artist activism, with additional performances from Jim Babjak and Dennis Diken of The Smithereens, Dixie Dregs, Garry Tallent, Jimmy Vivino with Mark Barden, Steve Chapin & The Original Harry Chapin Band featuring Tom Chapin & Jen Chapin, Randy C Moore, an appearance by Danny Clinch and beyond.
There were special performances of Harry Chapin’s classic “Cat’s in the Cradle” and footage between sets from the film Harry Chapin: When in Doubt, Do Something and new documentary Harry Chapin – Cat’s In the Cradle: The Song that Changed Our Lives, out now on DVD and digitally (directed by Rick Korn & produced by In Plain View Entertainment).
Part of the annual Hungerthon campaign, with support from SiriusXM, 100% of ticket sale proceeds benefited WhyHunger and food collected on-site benefited the food bank Fulfill of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The event was sponsored by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and the Hard Rock Heals Foundation.
On the afternoon of the concert, WhyHunger also hosted an Artist Summit on hunger and poverty for VIPs at the Transparent Clinch Gallery. The summit welcomed artists and community leaders to engage in an open discussion about creative solutions to combat global hunger and the injustice at its root. Moderated by Rick Korn, participants included Sameer Gadhia of Young the Giant, Yola, Mark Barden, and Jen Chapin in addition to Jenique Jones, Executive Director of WhyHunger and Triada Stampas, Executive Director of Fulfill.
“It is incredible to stand here on this iconic stage, surrounded by so many musicians and fans who showed up tonight for something bigger than a concert,” said Jenique Jones, WhyHunger’s Executive Director.
“In a world with enough food for everyone, no one should be hungry, and through WhyHunger and Hungerthon, we are meeting this moment by supporting grassroots leaders and building lasting solutions. The energy in this room proves the power of music to bring people together and fuel real change. We are not a charity, we are a cause for change.”
Highlights from the concert included:
- Stevie Van Zandt & The Disciples of Soul with Marc Ribler kicked the energy into high gear with “Soulfire,” “Sweet Soul Music,” “Bitter Fruit,” “I Am a Patriot,” and a cover of The Jackson 5’s “Can You Feel It.”
- The room reached a fever pitch when Bruce Springsteen joined Stevie Van Zandt & The Disciples of Soul with Marc Ribler for “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Merry Christmas Baby,” and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” In a truly unique moment, the crowd serenaded Bruce and Stevie with an impromptu rendition of “We’re Having a Party” during a brief false fire alarm while they were onstage.
- Sameer Gadhia & Eric Cannata of Young the Giant rocked the house with “The Walk Home,” “Different Kind of Love,” and “Living for the City,” which evolved into a crowd-fueled sing-along of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground,” joined by Yola.
- Yola took the room to another level with “Ready,” “Starlight,” and an unforgettable Aretha-style rendition of “Love the One You’re With.”
- Danny Clinch joined Garry Tallent on harmonica for “Blue Suede Shoes.”
- Honoring the legacy of WhyHunger co-founder Harry Chapin, Steve Chapin & The Original Harry Chapin Band, featuring Tom Chapin, Jen Chapin, and Randy C. Moore delivered a beautiful rendition of “Cat’s in the Cradle.”
- Jim Babjak & Dennis Diken of The Smithereens delighted the crowd with the classics “Blood and Roses” and “A Girl Like You.”
- Jimmy Vivino, joined by Mark Barden, delivered a deeply moving tribute with Springsteen’s “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” dedicated to his son Daniel on the 13th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Bruce Springsteen stepped into the crowd to witness the performance.
- Danny Clinch also donated a rare photo from his archives, featuring Bruce Springsteen, Garry Tallent, Joan Jett, DJ Fontana and Sonny Burgess, autographed backstage and auctioned in the room to a generous donor.
WhyHunger began its 50th anniversary celebrations earlier this year with their Annual Chapin Awards Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City, raising over $600,000 with performances by Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and more. Most recently, they raised $447,300 at their 2nd annual Hungerthon Hustle at NYC’s Citi Field on Giving Tuesday, December 2, 2025, co-hosted by Chef Marcus Samuelsson.
In the last five years, WhyHunger has connected 5.3 million people to food and invested $10.8 million in community-led solutions globally. The nonprofit works in 24 countries around the globe to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food for all.
If you or someone you know needs assistance finding healthy meals, visit whyhunger.org/FindFood, call the WhyHunger Hotline at 1(800) 5-HUNGRY, or text your zip code to 1-800-548-6479.
To learn more about WhyHunger and how you can support the movement to end hunger, visit whyhunger.org, and follow on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
About WhyHunger
Founded in 1975 by the late Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger funds and supports community solutions to protect the human right to food. In nearly five decades of innovation and evolution, our programs and our grassroots partners in 24 countries have expanded agricultural practices that are better for the planet, helped communities address the root causes of hunger, and ensured access to nutritious food for millions of people. As a grassroots support organization, we stand behind the leadership of the people most impacted by hunger and injustice. We prioritize providing resources to support the rights of communities who have been historically excluded from defining and controlling their food systems. We advocate for workers’ rights and champion agroecological food production that unites science and sustainability with Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Together we can build socially and economically just food systems that nourish all people and the environment.
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