ACM Lifts Lives Through Donations

ACM Lifting Lives® has donated $800,000 this year to programs that improve lives through the power of music. Among its newest beneficiaries are the Nashville Symphony, Sophia’s Heart Foundation and Stars for Stripes.

Throughout 2010, the organization has supported flood relief in Middle Tennessee, the Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund for music industry professionals in need, and artists’ favorite causes through a monthly “My Cause” web feature.

“These gifts can ultimately be attributed to the support ACM Lifting Lives has received from the music industry and the artist community, who give of their time for ACM endeavors that raise our corpus,” said Erin Spahn, Executive Director of ACM Lifting Lives. “In a year of economic recovery, we are thrilled to be in a position to increase our giving and support these deserving organizations.”

“Our goal has been to grow ACM Lifting Lives through our grant cycle – to expand our reach and help people in need all over the country through the power of music,” said Gayle Holcomb, Chairman, ACM Lifting Lives Board of Directors. “In addition to serving our home bases of Los Angeles and Nashville, we are now funding programs in New York, Austin, Washington, DC, Charleston and even on a Native American reservation in Boulder. The need for healing and learning through music is widespread, and we’ve taken great strides toward meeting that need, nationally.”

Among the 20 beneficiaries are:

• Holston Home in East Tennessee, a favorite of Rodney Atkins who lived there as an infant, prior to being adopted.
• Lollipop Theater Network in Los Angeles, CA and Nashville, TN received funding for music sessions for pediatric patients at the local children’s hospitals.
• Musicians On Call received funding to launch a chapter in Washington D.C. to bring music to the bedsides of military hospital patients.
• Nashville Symphony received funding to provide musical instruments and services for at-risk youth.
• Sophia’s Heart Foundation in Nashville, founded by Danny Gokey in memory of his late wife, received funding for an after-school music and arts program for children.
• Stars for Stripes in Nashville received funding for an overseas celebrity entertainment tour for the troops.
• Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp in Nashville, for the second consecutive year, received scholarships for children and complete funding for a camp that studies Williams Syndrome and provides music therapy through performance and education.