Rascal Flatts members Jay DeMarcus, left, Joe Don Rooney and Gary LeVox hold patient Sam Strain, 3 months, during their visit this week to Children's Hospital. (photo by Dana Johnson)
Rascal Flatts show to again benefit Childrens’ Hospital
Joe Don Rooney plants a kiss on patient Hunter Gregory. (photo by Dana Johnson)
Heather Anderson, 7, gets a hug from Minnie Mouse. (photo by Dana Johnson)
Jay DeMarcus poses for a photo with patient Autumn Miller, right, her mother, Kisha Miller, and their friend, James Whitmore. (photo by Dana Johnson)
Jaiden Wykle helps Gary LeVox sing the group’s hit, "Life is a Highway." (photo by Dana Johnson)
For the third year in a row, country music super group Rascal Flatts joined Disney characters to host a party for the patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt on Wednesday.
Band members Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney performed some of their most popular songs and visited patients in the First Tennessee Theater at the Children's Hospital.
“It's amazing; with all their awards and record-breaking sales across the genres, Rascal Flatts continues to have a place in their hearts for their hometown children's hospital,” said Kevin Churchwell, M.D., chief executive officer and executive director of Children's Hospital. “We are so grateful that Gary, Jay and Joe Don are so committed to the health of the children we serve.”
In the past two years, the band has donated $1.4 million to Children's Hospital from the proceeds of their Nashville concerts.
This year, their annual benefit concert will be held at Nashville's Sommet Center on Sept. 21. Jason Aldean is the special guest. Last year's concert raised more than $800,000, and this year the goal is to raise at least $1 million. The band has committed to raising $3 million for Children's Hospital.
“We can't think of a better way to give back to our community than to help the children and their families who are helped by Children's Hospital,” says DeMarcus.
Rascal Flatts, which is on Disney-owned Lyric Street Records, also went room-to-room with such Disney characters as Cinderella, Snow White, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Dopey to visit patients too ill to attend the party.
To purchase tickets for the Sept. 21 concert, visit www.ticketmaster.com.