Zac Brown Delivers Food, Resources to Support Tenn. Wildfire Relief Efforts
Zac Brown has added his name to the list of country stars who are reaching out to lend a hand after wildfires destroyed thousands of homes in East Tennessee. The singer and frontman of the Zac Brown Band recently sent food and resources to support those affected by the fires in and around Gatlinburg, Tenn.
From Dec. 2-4, Brown sent his 18-wheeler food truck, "Cookie," to deliver food and supplies to those seeking refuge at Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg. Cookie is part of Brown's Southern Ground lifestyle brand and features a functional commercial kitchen, and, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel, when it rolled into Gatlinburg, it came equipped with 15 staff members, who traveled from Peachtree City, Ga., to aid those displaced after the wildfires destroyed or damaged their homes.
“We took a look at it, and we realized food was such a part of everything,” says Alyssa Goodman, public relations specialist at Southern Ground. “We knew we could send Cookie, and we don’t often do things like this, but this was something that was close, and we felt compelled to help because we could get Cookie there, so it was our way of helping those that needed us.”
Brown and his bandmates will perform at the Mountain Tough benefit concert in Gatlinburg on Dec. 17 -- and they're just a few of the long list of country stars who have stepped up to help out after the fires. Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift have pledged $250,000 and $100,000, respectively (donations being matched by the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music, respectively), and Dolly Parton has created the My People Fund, a new arm of her philanthropic foundation, to support restoration efforts and will host a telethon on Dec. 13 to raise funds for those affected. Parton is a native of the area, and the benefit event will feature a star-studded lineup, including Chris Stapleton, Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers, Alison Krauss, Hank Williams Jr. and many more.
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