BLACKBERRY SMOKE TEAMS UP WITH CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

BLACKBERRY SMOKE TEAMS UP WITH CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

PLEDGES TO MATCH $50,000 IN DONATIONS FOR THE AFLAC CANCER AND BLOOD DISORDERS CENTER

Blackberry Smoke presenting their donation to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Photo credit: Evan Bartleson

Blackberry Smoke is working with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to raise money and awareness for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The band has created a special donation page where friends and fans can contribute to the cause and learn more about the organization: www.blackberrysmoke.com/choa.

Throughout the month of September, Blackberry Smoke will spearhead several fundraising initiatives including auctions for four different autographed guitars: a custom Short Mountain acoustic guitar and three Cigar Box Guitars. The Short Mountain guitar features the Children’s logo as well as signatures from Blackberry Smoke, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alabama, Charlie Daniels Band, Jamey Johnson and Lukas Nelson among several others. The band will also host VIP Meet & Greets in addition to several other events that will be announced later this month. All proceeds go to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

To kick off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the band recently spent a day at Children’s, visiting patients’ rooms, delivering gifts and performing for patients, families and staff. They also presented the hospital with a check for $50,000—honoring their pledge to match that amount in donations. Watch a video of the band’s visit HERE. The Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center is an organization very close to Blackberry Smoke, especially for drummer Brit Turner. Brit’s daughter, Lana, was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma in December of 2009 at age 3, with cancer in 97% of her bone marrow. After undergoing rigorous treatment at the Center, Lana is now a happy and healthy 11-year-old.

Of his family’s time at Children’s, Turner states, “I’ve never experienced anything like it before or since, they’re just the most caring people you can imagine…you obviously don’t want to be in the hospital with your kid but don’t want to leave because the care is so good.”

Blackberry Smoke works throughout the year to raise money and awareness for this cause. Over the summer, the band raised over $6,000 for Children’s during their Brothers and Sisters Reunion weekend in Maryville, TN. During the two day event, the band partnered with Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson for the 1^st Annual Brothers and Sisters charity motorcycle ride and raffled off a one-of-a-kind, hand painted Biltwell motorcycle helmet as well as a custom painted and pinstriped Harley Davidson–Sportster gas tank. Additionally, the band hosts their “Brothers and Sisters Holiday Homecoming Show” each fall at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA. In the five years since the concert began, the band has donated almost $200,000 to pediatric cancer research.

Since their debut in 2001, the 5-piece band—consisting of Charlie Starr (lead vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), and Brandon Still (keyboards)—has released six full-length studio albums, including their most recent, Find A Light, which was released earlier this year to widespread acclaim (purchase here). They will also release a new EP, The Southern Ground Sessions, on October 26, which was created as an acoustic accompaniment to Find A Light. Additionally, the acclaimed American rock band will continue their extensive world tour this fall. See below for complete tour details.