Chris Young was joined by celebrities Drew Baldridge, Craig Wayne Boyd, T. Graham Brown, Jeff Cook, Wilson Frazier, Cody Hodgson, Jesse Labelle, James Neal, Eddie Reasoner, Tyler Reeve and The Swon Brothers along with legendary anglers and NBC Sports Outdoors’ Th3 Legends, Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston and Roland Martin over the weekend as he presented “The 3rd Annual Th3 Legends Cast For a Cure Big Bass Tournament” outside Nashville, TN on June 1st. The family-friendly event netted over $80,000 benefiting the T.J. Martell Foundation, the music industry’s leading foundation to fund innovative cancer research.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better day on the lake,” shared Chris. “The weather was perfect, I got to spend the day fishing with friends and we raised a lot money for the T.J. Martell Foundation in their fight against cancer, a battle my own Dad has fought and won.”
The friendly competition heated up between Chris Young and Tyler Reeve as they competed to land the “biggest catch,” with the “loser” donating $1,000 to the T.J. Martell Foundation. While Tyler lost the bet, the real winner was the T.J. Martell Foundation with both artists contributing to the cause. Over 100 anglers participated in the tournament with Christie D’Amour taking home the top prize with a 4.39 lb. bass. Ian Huey (4.02 lb.) and Jordan Rowe (3.94 lb.) took second and third prizes in the tournament.
“The 3rd Annual Th3 Legends Cast For a Cure Big Bass Tournament” took place at Sanders Ferry Park on Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, TN. For guests wishing to attend without joining the tournament, the Party in The Park event was free and open to the public and hosting live music from Philip White and the Wilson Brothers Band plus a silent auction, family-friendly activities, photo opportunities and more.
Since the annual event’s inception, over $145,000 has been raised and fishing enthusiasts both professional and hobbyists have come from around the country to participate.
Th3 Legends Cast for a Cure Big Bass Tournament was created by legendary music manager and T.J. Martell Foundation board member, Doc McGhee. Doc, a close friend of Tony Martell (founder of the T.J. Martell Foundation), has been an active supporter of the foundation for over 35 years. His contributions over the years resulted in the foundation honoring him with the annual Spirit of Excellence Award in 2014.
“The T.J. Martell Foundation is very near and dear to my heart,” says Doc McGhee. “Throughout the years they have made gigantic strides in the fight against Cancer. Bringing together musical artists and other celebrities who give unselfishly of their time and resources helps give the foundation an additional platform to spread the word of what our core mission is. We are grateful to everyone that takes part in fundraising events like Th3 Legends Cast for a Cure Big Bass Tournament.”
The T.J. Martell Foundation’s southern region hosts a number of events annually including the Nashville Honors Gala, Music City Tennis Invitational and Wirtgen Classic Golf Tournament, to name a few. To date the Foundation has provided over $280 million dollars for research at flagship hospitals throughout the United States.
