Florida Georgia Line and The Independence Fund presented wounded Army Veteran Greg Dotson with a life-changing all terrain wheelchair at FGL’s Dallas show in June. Photo credit: Danilo Lewis (PRNewsfoto/The Independence Fund)
MULTI-PLATINUM duo Florida Georgia Line (FGL) along with The Independence Fund will be presenting catastrophically wounded Veterans all-terrain tracked wheelchairs onstage across the nation during their 2019 CAN’T SAY I AIN’T COUNTRY TOUR. The relationship between the Veteran nonprofit and FGL began in 2016 when gifts of these life-changing devices took place at private meet-and-greets backstage.
During kickoff weekend of the CAN’T SAY I AIN’T COUNTRY TOUR, FGL teamed up with Veteran nonprofit The Independence Fund, for the first of 12 all-terrain tracked wheelchair presentations on June 14 in Dallas, TX. Wounded Army Veteran Greg Dotson, who lost his leg to an IED in Iraq in 2007, was greeted by a standing ovation from the more than 20K concert-goers when he arrived onstage in his brand new all-terrain chair. Following the presentation, Dotson remained onstage with FGL, even helping them sing the chorus to their #1 song, “Dirt.”
“The guys (FGL) have a tremendous heart for our nation’s warfighters,” says Sarah Verardo, CEO of The Independence Fund. “It was a special feeling to see the look on Greg’s face when the crowd cheered for him. We are beyond grateful for the support they have shown our organization and more specifically heroes like Greg. It’s a very exciting year for our relationship with FGL, to be able to honor the Veteran by having them join Brian (Kelley) and Tyler (Hubbard) onstage for the presentation really showcases the respect they have for our wounded Veterans, who have sacrificed so much for our country.”
For FGL, the onstage presentation flowed naturally into the set, as at each show Hubbard and Kelley pause for a moment during their performance of “Dirt” to thank first responders, military, and Veterans for their service.
The Independence Fund, a national nonprofit organization assisting the country’s wounded, ill, and injured Veterans and their Caregivers, has provided more than 2,300 of these all-terrain chairs through its mobility program since its 2007 inception. The chairs provide wounded Veterans the ability to regain independence lost through their injuries. The relationship between FGL and The Independence Fund began in 2016, on the heels of the duo’s DIG YOUR ROOTS TOUR.
At the shows, FGL will be joined by members of The Independence Fund’s board of directors to present a life-changing wheelchair to a wounded Veteran. The Independence Fund representatives include Verardo, retired Army Brigadier General Rich Gross, and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
Upcoming Chair Presentations
7/12 Mansfield, MA
7/13 Philadelphia, PA
7/20 Jones Beach, NY
7/27 Charlotte, NC
8/9 Chicago, IL
8/29 West Palm Beach, FL
8/30 Tampa, FL
8/31 Atlanta, GA
9/19 Phoenix, AZ
9/20 San Diego, CA
9/21 San Bernardino, CA
For more information on The Independence Fund, follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter (@IndyFund) and Instagram (@independencefund), or visit www.independencefund.org.
For more on Florida Georgia Line, visit FloridaGeorgiaLine.com and keep up with them on Twitter (@FLAGALine), Facebook and Instagram (@floridageorgialine).
About Florida Georgia Line
Amassing the best-selling digital Country single of all time (SoundScan) with 11X-PLATINUM breakout “Cruise,” GRAMMY-nominated duo Florida Georgia Line have been making history since 2012. As the first Country act to achieve RIAA’s DIAMOND certification (10 million copies sold) and holding the longest reign on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart (50 straight weeks) with 5X PLATINUM, #1 “Meant to Be” with Bebe Rexha, the global superstars have topped 8.9 billion streams, exceeded 33.6 million track downloads, and sold more than 4.6 million albums worldwide. FGL’s fourth studio album CAN’T SAY I AIN’T COUNTRY (BMLG Records) features their chart-rising single “Talk You Out of It” and PLATINUM, #1 “Simple” (16th #1 overall as artists). Playing to millions of fans spanning massive arena and stadium headline tours, they’re currently on the CAN’T SAY I AIN’T COUNTRY TOUR and will reprise FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS due to popular demand, with FGL Fest also upcoming. Honored by the AMAs, CMA Awards, Billboard Music Awards, CMT Music Awards, and ACM Awards, their creative empire also includes thriving business initiatives: Old Camp Peach Pecan Whiskey, FGL HOUSE, meet + greet, Tree Vibez Music, and Tribe Kelley.
About The Independence Fund
Established in 2007, The Independence Fund is a national Veterans Service Organization dedicated to meeting the unmet needs of catastrophically wounded Veterans, Caregivers, and their families through a variety of programs. To learn more, visit www.independencefund.org.
SOURCE: CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The Independence Fund