Little Big Town Ride for a Cure Revs Up for T.J. Martell June 10

Little Big Town will return as hosts for the 2012 Ride for a Cure on Sunday, June 10. It's the group's sixth consecutive year hosting the event, with proceeds benefiting the T.J. Martell Foundation.

Registration will begin at 8:00 AM at a newly-announced location, which will also be the site of the pre-ride Jam Session. Both will take place at Mickey Roo's (509 Hillsboro Rd., Franklin, Tenn.) in the Kroger Independence Square parking lot. Performances by Cali Rodi and others take place on the welcome stage, with a departure time of 10:30 AM as riders make their way the Harley-Davidson Columbia Superstore.

Post-ride festivities beginning at noon include a lunch hosted by Applebee's, an All-Star Jam Session with performances by LBT, Lauren Alaina, Love and Theft and Dean Alexander, as well as a live auction for all attendees.

To date, Ride for a Cure has raised over $260,000 for the T.J. Martell Foundation, with more than 2,500 motorcycle riders participating in the ride, and an additional 2,000 people attending the post-ride All Star Jam concert in the past three years, with Martina McBride, Jamey Johnson, the Band Perry and Luke Bryan among the artists taking part. The T. J. Martell Foundation is the music industry's largest foundation that funds innovative medical research focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS.

For LBT, the opportunity to "get their motors runnin'" has been a welcome way to relax and unwind.

"It helps you clear your mind," the group's Phillip Sweet told The Boot in 2010. "And especially when you have the wind and the surroundings and the smells of outside, you're not focused on anything but just riding. It's therapeutic and relaxing. I really enjoy it."

"There's a lot of personal thinking time," adds Jimi Westbrook. "You get alone, and it's all your thoughts and the scenery around you. It's a cool thing."

Relaxation is also at the heart of the group's latest hit, "Pontoon," the lead single from their fifth studio album, due out this fall.