It was 40 years ago this year, that Charlie Daniels and some of his friends recorded a live version of "Fire On The Mountain" when the group gathered at Nashville's War Memorial Auditorium. That moment in 1974 sparked Daniels to create his now-legendary "Volunteer Jam."
The tradition continues.
Daniels just announced that 2015's "Volunteer Jam" is set for Aug. 12 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.. The jam is to raise awareness and funds for The Journey Home Project.
"We are extremely excited that Charlie will be bringing the Volunteer Jam back to Nashville. Everyone can only guess who his surprise guests are going to be," says Ed Hardy, board member of The Journey Home Project. "Charlie is a big man with a big heart. His love and passion for our troops and veterans is unparalleled. We definitely could not do this without him."
The project's mission is to work to connect caring people who might not come into contact with soldiers on a daily basis. The organization will also assist other not-for-profits in securing funds to help causes that benefit Veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
At the Journey Home Project's inaugural fundraising event on Sept. 9, guests were entertained by Daniels, Rodney Atkins, Mandy Barnett and Ryan Weaver. A big hit at the function was the guests being able to interact with troops in Afghanistan through a special uplink coordinated by David Corlew and the Special Operations community.
"It was a very special moment, there was not a dry eye in the room" explains Corlew. "I have been very fortunate traveling to Afghanistan where I visited our troops and have built a personal relationship with many of them. Being able to connect our supporters with those that we are raising money for was something nobody expected, and that was special."
The Charlie Daniels Scholarship for Heroes Fund, which is part of the Yellow Ribbon Education Program at Lipscomb University, was created by Daniels and Corlew to raise money to give our military men and women the opportunity to receive a superior education. Those efforts are continuing through The Journey Home Project.
Tickets for Charlie's Volunteer Jam will be available online at charliedaniels.com, The Journey Home Project's official site, or through Ticketmaster starting Spring 2015.
