The T.J. Martell Foundation raised over $425,000 for cancer research at the 10th Annual Nashville Honors Gala on Monday night.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the T.J. Martell Foundation’s partnership with the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and the Nashville Honors Gala alone has raised over $4 million for innovative cancer research since its inception in 2009. Hosted by “Nashville” star Charles Esten, the event honored five outstanding community leaders with performances by Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, Natalie Grant, Danny Gokey, Lauren Alaina and Jeff Foxworthy. The honorees were treated to heartfelt presentations by Agenia Clark, Dr. Ron Eavey, Frank Thomas and Mike Fisher.
This year’s honorees were:
Janet Ayers – Lifetime Humanitarian Award
David Poile – Spirit of Nashville Award
Frank Bumstead – Frances Preston Outstanding Music Industry Achievement Award
Mike Smardak – Tony Martell Outstanding Entertainment Achievement Award
Dr. James Netterville – Medical Research Advancement Award
The T.J. Martell Foundation is the music industry’s leading foundation that funds innovative medical research focused on finding treatments and cures for cancer. The Foundation was founded in 1975 by music industry executive Tony Martell and his colleagues in loving memory of his son T.J., who died of leukemia. The Foundation has provided more than $280 million for research at eight flagship hospitals in the United States.
For more information, please visit www.tjmartell.org.