Montgomery Gentry raises $80K for charity with help from Chris Young & other artists

From left, Wade Hayes, Jamie Fox Hardwick, Shane Thomas, Troy Gentry, auction winner Mike Kimlerling,

Eddie Montgomery, Chris Young and Tim Nichols at the December benefit event. (Photo by Joe Hardwick)

Grand Ole Opry members Montgomery Gentry, along with country-music friends Chris Young, Jon Stone, Tim Nichols, Wade Hayes, Trent Willmon and Jim Quick, joined forces with Coastline to raise $80,000 during the first-ever Country on the Beach on Dec. 3-6 to benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation.

Held at the Beach Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico, the event featured an all-inclusive guest package with activities such as adventure zip line tours, snorkeling, swimming with the dolphins, water volleyball, spa treatments, poolside relaxation and all food and beverage, not to mention great country music in the evenings.

“Eddie (Montgomery) and I were thrilled when the TJ Martell Foundation asked us to host their first Country on the Beach event," Troy Gentry said. "Besides having a great time with all of the other artists, fans and industry friends that attended, we are very proud to help raise money for such a worthy cause. Cancer research is very near and dear to my heart and we are both honored to have helped.”

Proceeds from Country on the Beach went to the T.J. Martell Foundation’s mission of funding ground-breaking research for leukemia, cancer and AIDS at six top research hospitals in the United States. In Nashville, the Foundation supports cancer research at the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

One of the highlights of the trip included the live auction which offered on-stage performances with Montgomery Gentry ($3,750) and singer/songwriter Nichols ("Live Like You Were Dying") ($3,000) to offering private serenades by Willmon and Hayes.

GAC TV’s Headline Country host, Storme Warren, was the host and auctioneer of the event who added to the auction excitement by offering hand-written lyrics to the tune of Charlie Daniel’s “The Devil Went Down To Georgia,” which were re-written by various artists from the CMA Awards red carpet in November ($7,000). Young, too, offered the hand-written lyrics to his first-ever No. 1 song, “Getting You Home,” which brought $5,500.

“This event was a great year-end fundraising opportunity for the T.J. Martell Foundation,” said Tony Conway, president of the T.J. Martell Foundation Board of Directors. "The foundation is so fortunate to have such giving artists, musicians, sponsors and fans who give their time and money to help find a control/cure for cancer.”