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Photos courtesy of Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
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Photos courtesy of Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
On March 15, country hit maker Dierks Bentley was honored with the first star on the new Walk of Champions inside Monroe Carrell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, surrounded by the patients and families he's spent more than 10 years raising money to help.
Unveiling a red-trimmed golden star which now graces the hospital's Main Street hallway, administrators praised Bentley's 'incredible dedication” to the institutionspecifically his long running Miles and Music for Kids concert and motorcycle ride, which raised more than $4 million.
'I am personally so honored to have this star,” Bentley said, before spending the afternoon with children who were too sick to attend the ceremony. 'Everyone who knows the situation knows that I'm not the star. The doctors and technicians and administrators and nurses, you guys are the ones who make this place what it is.”
Later that evening, Bentley was toasted with a charming, red-carpet cocktail gala held on the stage of the Ascend Amphitheater. Hosted by CMT's Cody Alan, the event featured acoustic performances of Bentley's hits by songwriters Jon Randall and Jessie Alexander, Ross Copperman, and Jim Beavers.
In his closing remarks, Bentley revealed the motivation behind his charitable spirit.
'For us as country artists, we want the chance to give back to something that's bigger than we are that will carry on, and that's what this star represents,” he said. 'It's bigger than the music, but I couldn't have gotten there without the music.”