COUNTRY CARES FOR ST. JUDE KIDS JOINS BILLI CLUB

Country Cares for St. Jude Kids held its 35th anniversary event in Memphis this week. During the swanky soirée, the organization announced it has raised more than $1b for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital over the last 35 years. Country stars Brad Paisley, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi and Megan Moroney were on deck to provide music for the celebratory occasion.

As part of the notable milestone, a studio on the St. Jude campus has been dedicated in honor of Randy Owen and his wife, Kelly. Owens, a member of the band Alabama, helped found the Country Cares program in 1989 and its signature Angels Among Us award recognizing country music professionals for their commitment and service to St. Jude.

“What the country music community has been able to achieve through Country Cares is breathtaking,” Richard C. Shadyac Jr., president/CEO of  ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, said. “We are deeply honored and grateful for Randy Owen's passion and dedication in answering the call from our founder Danny Thomas to get involved and for rallying fellow artists, radio stations and fans for over three decades to support St. Jude.”

Pictured thanking the heavens HITS couldn't afford a flight to Graceland are (l-r) Republic’s Gary Spangler and Alex Coslov, Back Blocks’ Rakiyah Marshall, Big Loud’s Seth England, Republic’s Lucas Romeo, Mercury’s Tyler Arnold and Republic’s Mary Catherine Kinney.