Dierks Bentley Helps Fight Hunger to Kick Off Mountain High Tour

Dierks Bentley got ready to begin his Mountain High Tour by helping those less fortunate. The Arizona native gathered his band and opening act LANCO on Monday, May 14, not to have a typical celebratory kick-off, but instead to help feed the hungry in middle Tennessee.

"Typically when a tour is about to launch, you get your band and crew together for some drinks before the run, but I wanted to make sure we did something different this year," Bentley says in a statement. "We got everyone together to really start off with what it's all about for me right now … gratitude."

Bentley partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee to help kick off the Hunger Free Summer campaign. Together, the guys packaged over 10,000 pounds of food, to supply more than 8000 meals to families in need, who will not have access to school meals over the summer.

Bentley is becoming known as much for his big heart as he is for his music. He recently honored Sydnee Floyd, a young girl born with PFAPA, a syndrome that results in fevers and sore throats, and EDS, a condition that affects the connective tissue in her body. Sydnee, who was also a victim of bullying, didn't let her challenges impede her desire to help others, joining her mother, Jennifer, in raising money for cancer research, giving out school supplies to elementary children, and feeding the homeless by making them meals.

The 42-year-old was so touched by Sydnee's story, that he shared their story in his latest "Woman, Amen" video.

"Jennifer and Sydnee make everyone around them want to do more, to be better … it was an incredible honor for me to honor them," Bentley says. "I hope that by shining a light on the completely selfless volunteer work they do, it will maybe inspire other folks to do what they can in their own communities. I was really drawn to their real-life experience, and I wanted to do a video based on real people with real struggles and real triumphs. These are the people I get to meet every day, and they are really the ones who have inspired this music."

Bentley was recently honored with a star on the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Walk of Champions, for raising more than four million dollars for the medical facility through his Miles & Music campaign.

His upcoming album, The Mountain, will be released on June 8. His Mountain High Tour kicks off on Friday, May 18. Dates for all of his upcoming shows on his Mountain High Tour are available on his website.

Photo Credit: Facebook/Dierks Bentley