Country Cares for St. Jude Kids® Celebrates 35 Years

Nationwide music fundraiser Country Cares for St. Jude Kids® marked its 35th anniversary by announcing at its annual gathering earlier this week: $1 billion raised since 1989 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Performances by Brad Paisley, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi and Megan Moroney celebrated the country music industry's historic milestone.

The success of this program has come through various ways including radiothons that bring in thousands of monthly donors, the This Shirt Saves Lives campaign, and events and concerts. Funds raised through these efforts go to supporting St. Jude now and in the future. It costs nearly $2 billion each year to sustain and grow the research hospital.

“What the country music community has been able to achieve through Country Cares is breathtaking. 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. Together, they have scaled new heights with this program, placing it among the very highest level of fundraising in our history,” said Richard C Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 

“That is the power of country music and its fans, who inspire all of us to find ways to help one another and live charitably. Thanks to the support of this amazing community, St. Jude can continue to ensure that no family receives a bill from St. Jude for that treatment so they can focus on helping their child live.”

As part of this milestone, a studio on the St. Jude campus has been dedicated in honor of Randy Owen and his wife, Kelly. Randy, 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.

“It is an honor to have this studio named after us,” said Randy and Kelly Owen. “For 35 years, we’ve had the privilege of sharing the story of St. Jude with the world and seeing the impact our efforts make through meeting patients and their families. I am grateful to serve this incredible mission.”

2024 Angels Among Us award recipient Old Dominion was honored at the event, joining a list of past winners such as Randy Owen, Brothers Osborne, Scotty McCreery, Lady A, Jake Owen and Brad Paisley.

Music Gives to St. Jude Kids® is one of the most successful music fundraising programs in the United States with more than 350 radio and music partners. Cancer is a multi-trillion-dollar, multi-year problem, and the country music industry helps to raise more than $70M annually for St. Jude to help children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

To donate monthly to St. Jude, visit musicgives.org.