$1 Billion Raised: The Country Music Community’s Commitment to St. Jude’s Lifesaving Mission Continues At Country Cares Event

For 35 years, the country music community has united to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through Country Cares for St. Jude Kids. Founded by Randy Owen of the legendary country group Alabama, the program has brought together artists, radio stations, and music partners to raise an impressive $1 billion (yes, that’s BILLION with a b) for St. Jude, helping children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Thanks to these fundraising efforts, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, housing, or food, allowing them to focus solely on helping their children survive.

St. Jude is committed to ensuring that no child, anywhere, dies from cancer, and the efforts to raise funds and awareness continued with the 2024 Country Cares seminar. Held in Memphis, Tenn., on October 21 and 22, the event brought together artists, radio partners, members of the music community, influencers, and media at the St. Jude campus and the iconic Peabody Hotel to learn about the groundbreaking research being conducted by doctors and scientists, and to explore ways to help spread the word about the critical work St. Jude is doing. 

The event kicked off with a performance by Jon Pardi at Graceland. The next day, attendees explored St. Jude’s facilities, participated in educational sessions, and listened to powerful stories from patients and their families during special panels. The two-day Country Cares event, celebrating its 35th year, concluded with performances by Megan Moroney, and Angels Among Us Award winners, Old Dominion. 

Visiting St. Jude has essentially become a rite of passage for new artists, including Avery Anna, who made her first trip to the hospital this week. She described the experience as “inspiring.”

“It’s honestly an honor to be here. I feel so full of joy,” she told Country Now ahead of the seminar’s final event – the Angels Among Us Dinner. “So many good people with big hearts are coming together to give these families and these kids an opportunity to live and grow and learn.”

She continued, “Walking in, it instantly feels like almost a sacred place. It’s so full of the spirit. It’s so full of joy, encouragement, and hope.” 

The singer/songwriter also had the opportunity to spend time with a few patients, who she said “filled my cup.” 

Bryce Leatherwood had a similar experience during his first visit to St. Jude. He told us this experience truly “changed my life.” 

“What St. Jude does here is unrivaled. I think the love that’s shared between everyone here, not only the artists but the families here that we get to talk to and the patients that we get to spend time with and try to make ’em laugh to try to have some fun…. It’s just a lot of love and I think this should be a rite of passage for everybody. I think everybody in America should come here and see what St. Jude does. I’m so grateful to be here,” he shared. 

Along with touring the hospital and spending time with patients, the artists had the chance to hear from Country Cares founder Randy Owen. He encouraged them to carry on his legacy by using their voices and platforms to continue supporting St. Jude.

“Randy came up to all of us and said, ‘I just want to tell you this guys, what does your next 20 years look like? What legacy do you want to leave behind? Because I’m not going to be here,’” Drew Baldridge recalled of Owen’s powerful speech to the group of young artists. “And that just hits you like a ton. I’ve got goosebumps right now. And he’s just like, ‘I’m not going to be here. Y’all are who’s going to take the torch.’ And he said, ‘I’m so glad y’all are here. We do this for the kids. Let’s remember that and let’s keep this going.’” 

Owen’s speech truly resonated with Baldridge who left feeling inspired to help carry on the mission.  

“My biggest thing in music is you want to leave the world better than you found it, or when you came into it. And when you think of songs and music and impact, hearing it from Randy Owen, you say, ‘I just want to do the best I can. I want to keep Country Cares going.” 

Randy Owen later reflected on his speech, joking that he can’t recall exactly what he said to them but told us, “I hope I said something that takes. If there’s one star that I talked to today that takes all this and with every bit of their energy that they try to help the kids at St. Jude, then I will achieve what I sought to do today with those beautiful stars that I talked to.”

When he set out to create Country Cares in 1989, Owen “could have never imagined” what the fundraising program would become, let alone that it would ultimately raise $1 billion for St. Jude.

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There’s still more work to be done, however. It costs nearly $2 billion to sustain and grow St. Jude each year, and the cost is estimated to grow to $2.2 billion by 2027. 89% of the funds necessary to sustain and grow St. Jude must be raised by ALSAC from donors, and it’s easy to make a difference. Being a partner in Hope at $19 a month can make a huge impact when supporters come together, just as St. Jude founder Danny Thomas envisioned. 

Join us, Avery Anna, Bryce Leatherwood, Drew Baldridge, Randy Owen and dozens of other country artists and help kids fighting cancer by becoming a Partner in Hope. Visit MusicGives.org for details.