Friends of Danny Macko, who died while performing with his metal band last year, raised $1,000 and donated it to Butler School District in his memory. Photo submitted by Mark Dottle.

Danny Macko died doing what he loved the most — performing on stage with a metal band.

Macko, a Butler native, collapsed May 7 while performing with his band Breaking Point. He was declared dead later that night of a heart attack at age 53.

Macko's love of music and kind personality are now living on thanks to the efforts of some of his friends in the Butler music scene, who raised money at a recent event and made a donation of $1,000 to Butler School District to support music education.

Macko, a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, worked a day job at a restaurant in the Butler area. He wasn't necessarily wealthy, but was always kind and willing to help others, said Sondra Scott, one of his close friends.

Scott organized a celebration of life event last July at Peter B's which raised money to help Macko's family pay for his headstone. With the headstone paid for and some money left over, Scott vowed to do something charitable in Macko's honor.

“We wanted to keep his name and his memory alive,” she said.

Read the full story in Sunday's Butler Eagle.