Jason Aldean hosted his third annual “Concert for the Kids” on Sept. 6 at the Macon Coliseum in his hometown of Macon, Georgia, raising an amazing $621,390 for the city’s Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital.
The hospital is the area’s sole dedicated pediatric facility, and past two events helped raise $1.2 million for its construction.
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“Nothing better than coming back to your hometown for a great cause!” Aldean tweeted on Friday, Sept. 7. “Thank You Macon, Ga. for showing up and for a great nite. #concertforthekids #home.”
Nothing better than coming back to your hometown for a great cause! Thank You Macon, Ga. for showing up and for a great nite. #concertforthekids #home pic.twitter.com/hNkR3IgtH6
— Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) September 7, 2018
“There is nothing better than coming back to your hometown for a great cause and Georgia really showed up last night,” Aldean said. “Thanks to Lauren Alaina for helping set the tone and with the community’s support over the last few years we’ve been able to help build an entire new facility for these kids who really need it the most.”
Ahead of the event, the “Drowns the Whiskey” singer explained that being able to give back is an important part of his job.
“There are a lot of reasons I love doing what I do, but being able to give back to these kids and their families is definitely really important to me,” Aldean said in a press release. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the community shows up for the hospital this year and what we can do to keep helping the people there.”
Aldean will follow that performance when his High Noon Neon Tour stops in Nashville on Sept. 7. Later this month, he will bring that tour to Las Vegas, where he last performed on Oct. 1 during the Route 91 Harvest Festival when a gunman opened fire on the crowd, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds.
Reflecting on the upcoming return, Aldean told Sunday TODAY that it’s still tough for him to wrap his head around the tragedy.
“When somebody buys a ticket to our show, or comes into an arena to watch you play, we want them to come, have fun, get home safe, and come see us the next time we’re in town,” he said. “The last thing we’re thinking is that they’re going to show up and never leave.”
“That’s not something I want on my resume for the rest of my life,” he added of his connection with the shooting. “For me it’s something, not that I want to forget, but I choose to not relive over and over.”
Photo Credit: Getty / Jason Kempin
