Willie Nelson will be the featured performer for the 8th Annual Country in the Rockies event at Club Med Crested Butte, Colorado January 29 through February 3, 2002.
Nelson’s legend as a songwriter is matched only by his reputation for opening his heart to help raise funds where there is need. Proceeds from this annual event help fund research efforts at the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, a division of the T.J. Martell Foundation.
A highlight of the fundraising and fun each year is the fabulous auction that takes place during the week. This year, some of the items include: walk-on roles on “Will & Grace,” “King of Queens” and “Everybody Loves Raymond;” a Tiger Woods autographed flag from one of his major tournament wins; handwritten lyrics to some the years’ biggest hits; jewelry; one-of-a-kind clothing; furniture and many other unique items.
The T.J. Martell Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for leukemia, cancer, AIDS. It was founded in 1975 by Sony Music executive Tony Martell following the death of his son, T.J., at age 21 of leukemia.
With divisions in Nashville, Los Angeles, New York and the Midwest, the Martell Foundation to date has raised more than $160 million to fund 11 laboratories around the United States, including The T.J. Martell Memorial Labs, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY; the Neil Bogart Memorial Labs, Childrens Hospital, Los Angeles, CA; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
Country in the Rockies is one of several annual fundraisers of the foundation. The Martell Foundation funds research.
This year, Nelson’s presence will help some of the nation’s top researchers come even closer to a cure by leading the fundraising. Other artists scheduled to attend include Lonestar, Brad Paisley, Lari White, BlackHawk, Gary Morris, Robert Earl Keen, with others confirming daily.
For more information on Country In The Rockies, or the T.J. Martell Foundation, call 615/401-2808 or visit www.citr.org.
