Florida Georgia Line Awarded St. Jude’s 2020 Randy Owen Angels Among Us Award
Superstar duo Florida Georgia Line are the 2020 recipients of the Randy Owen Angels Among Us Award, in recognition of their longstanding support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The accolade was announced during the We Won't Stop livestream in support of the organization's life-saving mission on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 15).
For years, FGL's Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley have worked to benefit the Memphis, Tenn.-based children's hospital: They have been a part of St. Jude's This Shirt Saves Lives campaign since 2017, and in 2018, Kelley led a No More Chemo party for a St. Jude patient named Ian onstage with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra in Music City.
The following year, the bandmates also planned a surprise tour stop at the hospital during their Can't Say I Ain't Country Tour.
"There is truly no place like St. Jude," Hubbard notes as the two artists reflect on their Angels Among Us Award. "Whenever we visit, we are continually inspired by the kids' strength and their amazing stories of bravery. Giving back is in our hearts and to be presented this award is an absolute honor."
Adds Kelley, "Music is healing, and we love being able to help in any way we can to further the mission of St. Jude. And for this award to be named after Randy Owen -- who has always been one of our influences -- that's pretty incredible."
Owen, who is the lead singer of the famed country group Alabama, has led the charge of country music's partnership with St. Jude since beginning the Country Cares for St. Jude Kids program in 1989. He also started the tradition of presenting the Angels Among Us Award to particularly dedicated artists; past recipients include Lady A, Darius Rucker, Brad Paisley, John Rich and Jake Owen.
Rucker, whose partnership with St. Jude is well documented, has also worked hard to help the hospital further its mission despite the added challenges 2020 has delivered. This summer, he raised more than $200,000 for St. Jude through the 2020 Darius & Friends Benefit Concert.
Each year, the Country Cares Seminar brings artists and music industry professionals together to raise funds and awareness in support of St. Jude. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event went virtual in 2020 with the We Won't Stop livestream.
Since it opened its door more than 50 years ago, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has led the way in understanding and treating childhood cancer and other life-threatening pediatric diseases. Treatments invented and researched at St. Jude have helped move the survival rate of childhood cancer from 20 percent to over 80 percent during the hospital's five decades in operation.
The hospital freely shares its discoveries, in the hope that doctors and scientists worldwide can save more children. Furthermore, families receiving care at St. Jude never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food, so that they can concentrate fully on helping their child live.
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