Two of country music’s stars - Kellie Pickler and Thomas Rhett – teamed
up with 12 of their colleagues who became real-life checker pieces today
at the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Country Checkers Challenge ™
during the 2015 Academy of Country Music® (ACM) Party for a Cause®
Festival at Globe Life Park in Arlington, TX.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Country Checkers Challenge Winning Team Captained by Kellie Pickler Played for the USO (Photo: Business Wire)
“We’ve always been supporters of country music and seen it as a natural
extension of who we are as a brand…time spent on the front porch with
family and friends,” said Chris Ciavarra, Cracker Barrel’s senior vice
president of marketing. “For years, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has
celebrated the spirit of music through our partnerships with the Grand
Ole Opry and through our exclusive music program.”
Through a Cracker Barrel $35,000 donation to benefit ACM Lifting Lives®,
$25,000 was donated to USO, the winning team, and $10,000 to DAV. The
event was held leading up to the 50th Annual ACM Awards,
airing LIVE this Sunday, April 19, at 8 p.m. ET on the CBS Television
Network.
“This event was not about us, it was about our servicemen and
servicewomen and our veterans. It’s not just their sacrifices, but the
sacrifices their families make, too, every day,” said winning team
captain Kellie Pickler. “A fun event like this reminds us that there are
so many things to be thankful for. I’m grateful for companies like
Cracker Barrel, the ACMS and Lifting Lives for shining a light on the
USO and DAV.”
To join the conversation, go to Facebook
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#countrycheckerschallenge.
“The Country Checkers Challenge partnership provided us with a great
opportunity to recognize two military organizations - the USO
and DAV
to help them continue the great work they do in support of active and
retired military servicemen and women,” Ciavarra said.
Playing on a giant outdoor checkerboard, Pickler and Rhett captained
teams of country music artists who were the “checker pieces” in a live
game viewed by thousands of fans. The artists participating in the
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Country Checkers Challenge included:
Team Rhett - Rhett Akins, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney (Dan + Shay),
Danielle Bradbery, Scotty McCreery, and Cassadee Pope; and Team Pickler:
Lauren Alaina, Chase Bryant, Kristian Bush, Stephen Barker Liles and
Eric Gunderson (Love & Theft) and Jamie Lynn Spears.
"We are proud to partner with Cracker Barrel and thrilled to have won
the checkers game," said Christy Hartsell, USO Vice President of
Corporate Alliances. "Having the support of our long-time friend Spanky
Gibson and USO tour veteran Kellie Pickler also makes for a special day
to come together in support of our nation’s troops and their families.
Partnerships like this play an important role in allowing us to continue
our nearly 75-year-old mission."
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has a long history of supporting
military families through the Wounded Warriors Project, National
Military Families Association, National Museum of the United States Army
and the USO.
About Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. provides a friendly
home-away-from-home in its old country stores and restaurants. Guests
are cared for like family while relaxing and enjoying real home-style
food and shopping that’s surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and
reminiscent of America’s country heritage…all at a fair price. The
restaurant serves up delicious, home-style country food such as meatloaf
and homemade chicken n’ dumplins as well as its made-from-scratch
biscuits using an old family recipe. The authentic old country retail
store is fun to shop and offers unique gifts and self-indulgences.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq:CBRL) was established in
1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. and operates 634 company-owned locations in 42
states. Every Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® location is open seven
days a week with hours Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., and
Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. For more information, visit
crackerbarrel.com.
About ACM Lifting Lives®
ACM Lifting Lives® is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country
Music dedicated to improving lives through the power of music. Through
partnerships with artists and strong ties in the music industry, ACM
Lifting Lives develops and funds music-related therapy and education
programs, and serves members of the community who face unexpected
hardships through its Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund. Through
generous donations and the support of artists and fans, ACM Lifting
Lives is able to fund everything from disaster relief and helping
communities in need, to music education in schools and music camps for
those with disabilities, to supporting programs that use music therapy
as a means to help our veterans and wounded warriors, while providing
grants to help them ease back into life. For more information, please
visit www.ACMLiftingLives.org.
About the USO
The USO lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families
millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide
a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the
U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and
services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most,
including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors,
troops in transition and families of the fallen. The USO is a private,
non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and
services are made possible by the American people, support of our
corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff. In
addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is
supported by President's Circle Partners. We are also supported through
the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in
this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit
uso.org.
About DAV
DAV empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and
dignity. It is dedicated to a single purpose: fulfilling our promises to
the men and women who served. DAV does this by ensuring that veterans
and their families can access the full range of benefits available to
them; fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol
Hill; connecting veterans and their families with employment resources
and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of
veterans transitioning back to civilian life. DAV, a non-profit
organization with 1.2 million members, was founded in 1920 and chartered
by the U. S. Congress in 1932. Learn more at dav.org.
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