by MORGAN RAUM | 16 June 2022 | Country Now
t’s been15 years since his first visit to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and three-time GRAMMY Award winner Darius Rucker has continued his promise to do all he could to support the foundation. Keeping true to his statement, the South Carolina native has continued to give back year after year.
Rucker hosted the 13th annual “Darius & Friends” benefit concert on Monday night, June 6th. The concert was followed by his corresponding golf tournament and silent auction on Tuesday, June 7th. Raising over $3 million to date, this year raised the most money, creating an all-time high of $516,000. The event sold out the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and had fans watching at home through a live stream.
Speaking of his first visit to the hospital in 2008, Rucker told the crowd, “I’m talking to one administrator and she said, ‘when you bring your kid to St. Jude, we fly you in, we put you up, we feed you and we never send you a bill.’ I started talking to people there and it’s true. That day I said, I want to do something to help. I’m doing this for St. Jude – thank you guys for coming out!”
Rucker’s passion for St. Jude has turned into an annual effort to fundraise. The benefit concert serves as an unofficial kickoff to CMA Fest and is known for its surprise lineup of well-known artists Rucker brings out onto the stage.
“Tonight is ladies’ night!” Rucker stated while the show kicked off. The night consisted of 30 hit songs and covers by Rucker and his friends: Sheryl Crow, Lindsay Ell, Sara Evans, Caylee Hammack and Rachel Wammack.
Fans got to see firsthand the effect St. Jude has had on those diagnosed. Addie, a St. Jude cancer survivor who was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 15 years old, had the crowd on their feet cheering after her acapella rendition of “Never Be Enough” from The Greatest Showman. She has been in remission for five years.
Read the full article here: Darius Rucker Raises $516K for St. Jude Children’s – Country Now
