News

LEGENDARY CHARLIE DANIELS BAND TO HEADLINE EIGHTH ANNUAL WALTRIP BROTHERS� CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP

FOX SPORTS HOST SHANNON SPAKE & MRO PRESIDENT BILLY MAULDIN TO CO-EMCEE CHAMPION�S DINNER; ATTENDEES TERRY BRADSHAW &

CRAIG MORGAN

OCT. 18-19 FUNDRAISER BENEFITS THREE CHARITIES AND LOOKS

TO BREAK THE $3 MILLION MARK 

The Devil went down to Franklin � he was lookin� for a Waltrip to steal �

Darrell and Michael Waltrip announced today that the legendary Charlie Daniels Band will headline their Champion�s Dinner Presented by ACLJ.org to kick off the Eighth Annual Waltrip Brothers� Charity Championship (WBCC) on Wednesday, Oct. 18, in Franklin, Tenn.

The Charlie Daniels Band will open off the two-day fundraiser benefitting Speedway Children�s Charities, Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) and The Journey Home Project.  In just seven years, the WBCC has raised $2.5 million for various charities.

�Charlie Daniels is an inspiration to all who know him,� Darrell Waltrip said. �His tireless work in the music business is, at the young age of 80, second to none.  However, perhaps more important to his fans and me is the fact he is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in.  Whether politics or his charity work, you always know where Charlie stands.  He�s a great American and a Country Music Hall of Famer, and I�m so proud to have his support for our event and the blessing of calling him my friend.�

FOX NASCAR host Shannon Spake and MRO President Billy Mauldin will emcee the Champion�s Dinner Presented by ACLJ.org. Among those already confirmed to attend the dinner are FOX NFL host and Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw, country artist Craig Morgan, NASCAR owner Rick Hendrick, NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton and NASCAR drivers Denny Hamlin and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Bradshaw�s performance as emcee last year brought down the house and kept guests in stiches throughout the evening.  For a look back at last year�s edition, headlined by Morgan, CLICK HERE.

During the dinner, three disabled military veterans will receive TDK Service Dog Foundation, Inc. service dogs to assist them in their daily lives. Many of the dinner guests return Thursday morning for the WBCC�s �no mulligan� golf tournament at Vanderbilt Legends Club with a noon shotgun start featuring 144 golfers across all skill levels.

Few have left a more indelible mark on America�s musical landscape than Daniels, a multiple-platinum award-winning artist and Country Music Hall of Fame member who has crossed genres ranging from gospel to Southern rock and country. His band is renowned for its signature song, �The Devil Went Down to Georgia,� which earned a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1979, in addition to Single of the Year at the CMAs. The group�s many memorable hits also include �Long Haired Country Boy,� �The South�s Gonna Do It Again,� �In America� and �The Legend of Wooley Swamp.�

Daniels also has been featured on other artists� albums, including Bob Dylan�s �Nashville Skyline,� while Elvis Presley recorded the Daniels-co-written �It Hurts Me,� which was released on the flipside of Presley�s �Kissin� Cousins.�  Daniels� career began in bluegrass with the Misty Mountain Boys in his home state of North Carolina before he made the move to Nashville in 1967 and began to establish himself as a songwriter, session musician and producer. The 80-year-old Daniels, whose band performed more than 100 concert dates last year and currently is on tour, also uses his platform to support the military, underprivileged children and others in need.  Daniels� autobiography, Never Look at the Empty Seats, will be released Oct. 24.  To pre-order, CLICK HERE.

�We are honored to be entertaining at the Waltrip Brothers event again this year, to lend a hand in supporting all the great work they do,� Daniels said.  �Besides that, it�s a lot of fun."

Entertainment and sports stars will be among the more than 500 guests at the Champion�s Dinner that features a live and silent auction consisting of more than 125 autographed items from sports, music and entertainment icons.  Already confirmed for the dinner are Darrell and Michael Waltrip, Bradshaw, country artist and 2016 WBCC headliner Craig Morgan, NASCAR drivers Denny Hamlin and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and FOX NASCAR broadcasters Adam Alexander and Todd Bodine.

�The Waltrip Brothers Charity Championship is a great event,� Michael Waltrip said.  �We�ve had some amazing stars perform over the years, and hundreds of amazing people have come together to give thousands of dollars to some wonderful charities.  The NASCAR community really rallies around Darrell and me, and I�m so thankful to everyone who helps make our event so special.�

Tickets for the dinner and/or golf tournament are available at www.waltripbrothers.com. For further information, please CLICK HERE, visit WBCC on Facebook at Waltrip Brothers� Charity Championship, follow on Twitter at @WaltripBrothers or contact Van Colley at [email protected].

Motor Racing Outreach

Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 by NASCAR drivers and their wives in response to the need for a �church� for the many individuals and families traveling and competing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Through its work MRO has grown to include various other racing series and numerous local tracks throughout the United States. Working with local churches and other ministry organizations, MRO has become instrumental in facilitating the same type of pastoral care and support to the millions of fans who follow NASCAR. Learn more about Motor Racing Outreach online at www.go2mro.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/motorracingoutreach or on Twitter at @followmro.

Speedway Children�s Charities

Speedway Children�s Charities remains true to the ideals it was founded upon in 1982: To care for children in educational, financial, social and medical need in order to help them lead productive lives. SCC provides funding for hundreds of non-profit organizations throughout the nation that meet the direct needs of children. Our vision is that every child has the same opportunities no matter what obstacle they are facing. For more information, visit www.speedwaycharities.org.

The Journey Home Project

The Journey Home Project is a not-for profit organization that assists other not-for-profits in securing funds to help causes that benefit veterans of the United States Armed Forces. The Journey Home Project was founded in 2014 by Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Daniels and board members: David Corlew, Ed Hardy, Joe Longever and Mercedez Longever. Conscious of the need to assist our nation�s veterans, they have set out to partner with organizations that do the most good, with the least overhead. Working in tandem with these organizations, The Journey Home Project is making a difference in the lives of American patriots. For more information, visit www.thejourneyhomeproject.org.