Charlie Daniels’ 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam Raises $300,000

Charlie Daniels celebrated the 40th anniversary of his Volunteer Jam earlier this month, and the event raised over $300,000 to support the Journey Home Project, which helps veterans transition after returning home from tours abroad.

Daniels was joined at the event by a star-studded guest list that included Eric Church, Ted Nugent, Trace Adkins, Alabama, Terri Clark, Billy Ray Cyrus, Colt Ford, the Grascals, the Kentucky Headhunters, Tracy Lawrence, the Oak Ridge Boys, Ryan Weaver, Wynonna Judd, Craig Morgan, Lee Roy Parnell, Billy Dean, Michael W. Smith, Travis Tritt, Phil Vassar, Montgomery Gentry and more.

"Before we all continue on with our hectic lives, it's important to stop and reflect on the fact that freedom is not free," says Mercedez Longever, managing director of the Journey Home Project. "We are so grateful to Charlie Daniels, his team, all of the phenomenal artists who donated their time and talent and [the] fans who came out to support the Journey Home Project."

Daniels brought the sold-out event back to Tennessee, to Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, this year, and in addition to the wealth of performances, the show also highlighted veterans with inspirational video footage.

“When we first started back in 1974, there was nothing else like it … It got to be a problem to get a really good roster of talent, so we kind of laid off for a while,” Daniels told The Boot and other reporters before the show. “This is the biggest show, talent-wise, we have ever done …

“When you stop to think about it,” Daniels continues, “that we started this 40 years ago in the War Memorial Auditorium, and here we are, 40 years later, with the same name, doing the same type of show, it’s pretty mind-boggling, actually. The only two things in my life that have been longer than Volunteer Jam is my band, which has been 42 years — and my wife, which has been 51 years. So it’s pretty gratifying, very humbling.”

More information about the Journey Home Project can be found at TheJourneyHomeProject.org.

See Photos From the 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam