Chris Young, Lee Greenwood + More Raise $500K for Veterans at 2022 Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards
Chris Young and Lee Greenwood were among the country stars and entertainment personalities who stepped up to raise half a million dollars for veterans at an event in Nashville on Oct. 26. The annual Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards included performances from the country singers, as well as honoring those who've supported veterans' causes.
Young headed up a concert lineup at Nashville's City Winery that included War Hippies (a duo consisting of combat warriors Scooter Brown and Donnie Reis). Greenwood made a surprise appearance and performed his perennial patriotic anthem, “God Bless the USA.”
The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project stages the event every year as a way to honor the late country legend's legacy of decades of support for veterans' causes. The 2022 Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards honored actor and longtime veteran advocate Gary Sinise, U.S. Army combat veteran and TCDJHP Ambassador Joel Pruitt and Nashville businessman Lee Beaman.
"Once again, those who are concerned about the welfare of our returning veterans came to make a difference," Daniels' longtime manager and TCDJHP co-founder David Corlew says in a press release. "It was a wonderful evening of patriotism, support and caring. Chris Young, Lee Greenwood and the War Hippies all joined to make it the biggest night our organization has experienced since we began."
Sinise was not on hand to receive his award, but he thanked the organization in a heartfelt video statement, saying, “I am honored to receive this award from Charlie Daniels, in his name. To receive an award in his name is a blessing, a privilege, an honor. Why did I get so lucky?”
Storme Warren hosted the 2022 Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards in front of an audience that included Daniels' wife, Hazel, and his son Charlie Daniels Jr. Congressman Mark Green (R-TN) was also in attendance, and 97-year-old WWII Navy vet Mathias Gutman and 99-year-old WWII Coast Guard vet Gladys Hughes were also honored at the event.
Corlew says Daniels would have been pleased with the evening.
"We even had an appearance from a combat warrior serving in the Middle East who shared his belief that what we are doing is making a major impact," he states. "Charlie would be very proud of the energy and kindness in that room. It’s an honor to be a part of Charlie’s legacy and dream to serve the servicemen and women of the United States military in such an epic way."