Garth Brooks’ December charity concerts raise $5 million for Tennessee flood relief
Garth Brooks (Associated Press file photo)
Oklahoma country music star Garth Brooks’ December concert series at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena is expected to bring in $5 million for flood relief in Tennessee, according to the Associated Press.
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee announced today the expected total from the nine sold-out concerts, which also featured Brooks’ wife Trisha Yearwood.
The nonprofit already has received $4.35 million. The proceeds will go to The River Fund, a charitable fund within the Community Foundation.
According to the AP, the fund already has given out $1.4 million to Hands on Nashville, the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the Community Resource Center. Flood victims seeking help should call 2-1-1 to be directed to a case manager.
In a statement to the AP, Brooks said he was honored to have been able to help.
He said, “Playing music has never felt better or ever felt more right.”
The Owasso resident originally planned to play a single flood benefit concert in Nashville. But the clamor for tickets was so urgent, he and Yearwood ended up selling out nine concerts, instead of one, in a single day.
“That’s sweet, especially in Nashville because that’s a tough place to sell tickets because it’s the industry. These people have seen everything, so you can imagine how floored we were when one went to two, two went to three,” Brooks told me in a November phone interview.
“That was very flattering, but for me, I think it reflected more the giving spirit of anybody. Because I made that call, I asked ‘If there’s ever a time to come see Garth, this is it, because 100 percent of the money is going to people who need it.’ And they, wow, they answered. It was fun.’”
-BAM
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