#CMAFEST2016 - CITY OF HOPE CELEBRITY SOFTBALL GAME HITS A HOME RUN IN ITS 26TH YEAR

Team Opry and Team iHeart Country end in 18 to 18 Tie Game as more than 30 Music and Sports Stars Step up to the Plate to Strike Out Cancer

Music Industry Veteran Bruce Hinton Presented “Champion of Hope” Honor by Big Machine Label Group President and CEO, Scott Borchetta

It was a home run for the 26th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game, which saw more than 30 music and sports stars step up to the plate to strike out cancer at First Tennessee Park in Nashville. Team iHeart Country and Team Opry ended in a tie game with a final score of 18 to 18.

Country music icon Trisha Yearwood led with the national anthem before Lauren Alaina, Craig Wayne Boyd, Danielle Bradbery, The Bobby Bones Show, Bucky Covington, Jessie James Decker, Charles Esten, Nick Fradiani, Vince Gill, Mickey Guyton, Jonathan Jackson, Chris Lane, LOCASH, Scotty McCreery, A Thousand Horses, Tristan McIntosh, Bret Michaels, David Nail, Cassadee Pope, RaeLynn, Jamie Lynn Spears, Mark Wills, Brett Young and former Major League Baseball pitcher Barry Zito took to the field to strike out cancer. The Crook and Chase Countdown’s Lorianne Crook and WSM’s Bill Cody emceed and offered play-by-plays for the thousands of fans in attendance.

Photos by Getty Images

The fan favorite game didn’t disappoint, as the bats came alive for both teams throughout the high scoring game. Memorable moments on the field included multiple inside the park home runs, double plays, and some crazy antics leading to tying the score up at 18 in the final inning.

The City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game, a 26-year tradition during CMA Music Festival, celebrated its first quarter century in Nashville as it honored the game’s founder, music industry veteran Bruce Hinton. The “Champion of Hope Award” was presented to Hinton by President and CEO of Big Machine Label Group, Scott Borchetta, for his significant contributions to the event over its quarter century history.

While neither team can walk away with bragging rights this year, it is the patients at City of Hope who are the real winners with more than $200,000 raised for cancer research.

Thousands of fans packed the ballpark to catch the action and antics on the field. Before the first pitch was thrown, the crowds cheered wildly as 8-year old City of Hope patient Aaron Yniguez, who received lifesaving treatment for acute myeloid leukemia more than three years ago at City of Hope, and his genetically matched, life-saving stem cell donor Yolanda Nava, a Southwest® Airlines Employee from Arlington, Texas, traveled to meet on the pitcher’s mound for the very first time.

Bone marrow transplants offer a second chance for people with life-threatening blood cancers and other hematologic malignancies. Since 1976, more than 13,000 patients from virtually every state and dozens of countries have undergone bone marrow, cord blood or stem cell transplants at City of Hope. Support from the Nashville community and its country music artists directly benefit City of Hope’s mission to find cures for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

Those unable to attend the game can still support City of Hope. A variety of unique merchandise including game-worn jerseys signed by the players, and experiences including meet-and-greets with the hottest artists, will be available for bid at Cohauctions.com. The proceeds will benefit City of Hope’s mission to eradicate cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

RAELYNN STEPS UP TO BAT FOR CITY OF HOPE

Steve Scarsone- Nashville Sounds, Booster, RaeLynn, Eric Martins- Nashville Sounds

RaeLynn, joined the Nashville Sounds and beloved mascot Booster on the field for a “warm-up” and pro tips session yesterday in preparation for her playing in the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game on Tuesday, June 7th at 3PM at First Tennessee Park. Tickets available via Ticketmaster.

Player Roster Announced for June 7 Game include: Lauren Alaina, Danielle Bradbery, The Bobby Bones Show, Jessie James Decker, Mickey Guyton, Jonathan Jackson, LOCASH, Tristan McIntosh, Jake Owen, and former Major League Baseball pitcher Barry Zito, Charles Esten, Vince Gill, Chris Lane, Scotty McCreery, Bret Michaels, David Nail, RaeLynn and Jamie Lynn Spears with more to come.

#CMAFEST2016 - CITY OF HOPE SOFTBALL GAME ADDS MORE STARS TO SAVE LIVES

Many of your favorite country stars will be stepping up the bat for life saving research at the 26th annual CITY OF HOPE CELEBRITY SOFTBALL GAME on TUESDAY, JUNE 7 at FIRST TENNESSEE PARK in NASHVILLE. Former MCA NASHVILLE Chairman BRUCE HINTON will be honored as the founder of this great event and for his contributions the past 25 years.

Last year game raised more than $200,000 for CITY OF HOPE. This year's team lineups include:

Lauren Alaina, Danielle Bradbery, Jessie James Decker, Mickey Guyton, Tristan McIntosh, Vince Gill, LoCash, Jonathan Jackson, Jake Owen, cast members of The Bobby Bones Show, Scotty McCreery, MLB pitcher Barry Zito, David Nail, Chris Lane, Charles Esten, Bret Michaels, Raelynn, and Jamie Lynn Spears. Stay tuned as more artists are announced through the weeks ahead.

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster and range in price from $25.00 to $50.00. These do sell out QUICKLY so don't wait too long to get yours. Come on out and help save lives with City Of Hope and country music's biggest names!

Additional Info:

First Tennessee Park is located just north of downtown Nashville at the historic site of Nashville baseball, Sulphur Dell. Located between 3rd Avenue North and 5th Avenue North, the ballpark is a short walk from many of the sites and buildings in downtown.

There are approximately 6,000 parking spaces within a half- mile walk from First Tennessee Park. Free and paid parking are available within this area.

Gates will open at 2:00PM - Game Will Begin at 3:00PM
Children 2 and under don't require a ticket
Sections 108 through 118 are behind the protective netting.

For information about Fundraising tickets please call the Nashville Sounds Ticket office at 615-515-4487 ext. 2

#CMAFEST2016 CITY OF HOPE AND COUNTRY MUSIC STARS JOIN FORCES TO STRIKE OUT CANCER AT THIS YEAR’S CMA FEST

Fan Favorite City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game to be held Tuesday, June 7

at First Tennessee Park in Nashville

Tickets On Sale Now at Ticketmaster.com

A fan favorite event and long-standing tradition of CMA Music Festival, City of Hope’s Celebrity Softball Game will be striking out cancer on Tuesday, June 7 at 3p.m. from First Tennessee Park in Nashville.

The event, which has featured some of Country Music’s biggest stars, including Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Scotty McCreery, Vince Gill and many more, takes to the field for its 26th year in support of City of Hope’s lifesaving mission.

Tickets for City of Hope’s Celebrity Softball Game are on sale now at Ticketmaster  at  http://bit.ly/1QQDkff. The full line-up of celebrity players stepping up to the plate on the Grand Ole Opry and iHeart Country teams will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We are very excited that the game has moved to Tuesday, once again helping to kick off the CMA Music Festival week of activities,” said Rick Murray, vice president of integrated marketing and promotions for Premiere Networks/iHeart Media.  “The entire iHeart Country team looks forward to continuing this 26-year tradition of fun, entertainment and most importantly a way for us to raise awareness and money to help City of Hope with their important work!”

“What a great way to begin a week of Opry and CMA Music Festival fun,” said Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher. “We always love to walk away from the game with bragging rights, but also keep our eye on the ball and know that the real winner is the fight against cancer.”

City of Hope is a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Researchers and doctors at the institution quickly transform scientific discoveries into better treatments and prevention strategies for people around the world. Support from the Nashville community and its country music artists directly benefit City of Hope’s mission to find cures for cancer.

Tickets for the game can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Those not able to attend the game can still support the cause. A variety of unique merchandise and experiences, including meet-and-greets with the hottest artists, will be available for bid at charitybuzz.com. The proceeds will benefit City of Hope’s mission to eradicate cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

REVIEW/PHOTOS - #CMAFEST2015 CITY OF HOPE CELEBRITY SOFTBALL GAME

EVENT: City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game
VENUE: First Tennessee Park - Nashville, TN
DATE: June 13, 2015
REVIEWER/PHOTOGRAPHER: Jason Evans
Follow Jason on Twitter at @J_EvansPhotos

The 25th anniversary of the City of Hope Celebrity Softball game took place at the brand new First Tennessee Park in Nashville on Saturday, June 13, 2015. The annual charity event takes place every year during country music's CMA Music Festival which draws hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide to the Nashville area. This event directly benefits City of Hope cancer research, as well as diabetic research and other life threatening illnesses which directly impact countless numbers of individuals across the world.

The softball game lineup is usually chock full of country music stars, actors/actresses, athletes and other celebrities that step up to the plate and go to bat for this great benefit. In the past years, the event has hosted celebrities like Brad Paisley, Craig Morgan, Charley Pride, Sara Evans, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean and many many others. This year, the celebrity lineup was split into two teams, Team iHeartRadio and Team Opry.

Team iHeartRadio: 

Angie Johnson • Bobby Bones • Bret Michaels • Doug McCormick • Eddie • Lauren Alaina • Lindsay Ell • Lunchbox • Perrish Cox • Seth Jones • Stephen Barker Liles

Team Opry:

Aaron Watson • Bucky Covington • Charles Esten • Chuck Wicks • Deana Carter • Eric Gunderson • JT Hodges • Phil Vassar • SaraBeth • Stu Grimson • Vince Gill

Note: Little Big Town was originally scheduled to attend, however due to an unforeseen family emergency they were unable to participate this year.

Representing humanity and overall goodwill in this years festivities, Stephen Bess, a Nashville resident and cancer survivor that needed a bone marrow transplant in order to live and beat cancer, and his stem cell donor, Jonas Baade who had a perfect match that would help save Mr Bess' life. A video would play on the jumbo screens depicting this story and the importance of the decision that Jonas Baade made in order to save the life of an individual in which he did not know.  Jonas Baade, who crossed nine time zones to meet Stephen, received an emotional standing ovation from those who were present to witness the connection of a lifetime.
     

The crowd was certainly there to have a good time and enjoy watching these celebrities play some softball as well as have fun and share laughs with everybody on the field. Some of the highlights of the game included Vince Gill taking the field for his 20th game, Deana Carter using her on-field antics to cheat and always considering herself "safe". This would eventually turn into "The Tomato Rule" in which all girls on the field were to be considered "safe", never be out and the announcers would say "Chop the lettuce, Lauren" as Lauren Alaina would take a swing. Lauren would play her heart out and even included a moment in which she would slide into home plate and cause herself to scrape her leg pretty badly but would continue to play. At one point, a foul ball would fly into the crowd and Charles Esten of the hit tv series "Nashville" immediately became concerned for the safety of those in the stands and assessed the situation. Once he realized that nobody had been injured, he gave his own personal safety announcement to the crowd to turn around and enjoy the game while watching for objects flying into the stands. The City of Hope used military armed forces members to umpire the game, giving it a patriotic feel and salute to those servicemen and women. Both teams were very well matched but it came down to the final inning where Bret Michaels would hit a walk off single that brought in live saving hero Jonas Baade, giving iHeartRadio a win of 6-5 in this year's challenge. City of Hope hit a home run this year by raising over $20,000.00 for cancer research.

#CMAFEST2015 NASHVILLE NATIVE WILL MEET BONE MARROW DONOR IN MUSIC CITY AT THE 25TH ANNUAL CITY OF HOPE CELEBRITY SOFTBALL GAME

Anniversary event to be held June 13 at new First Tennessee Park in Nashville

Tickets On Sale Now at Ticketmaster.com 

Photo credit: City of Hope

Nashville, Tennessee - (May 14, 2015) – Nashville native and former City of Hope patient Stephen Bess will return to Music City next month for an emotional homecoming, one in which he’ll be introduced to the man who saved his life.

During his treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia more than two years ago at City of Hope, Bess received a lifesaving donation of genetically matched stem cells from a stranger who, as it turned out, lived half a world away, in Germany. Ever since that time, Bess has wondered about that person, to whom he’s forever linked, who willingly and freely volunteered those cells. On June 13, in a special and rare ceremony at the 25th annual Celebrity Softball Game, Bess will get a chance to meet his life-giving hero.

“I am constantly humbled by the love and support I have received since my diagnosis in 2012. From the amazing staff at City of Hope, to my anonymous hero donor, to all of my friends and family, and of course my wife, Erin — I would not be alive if it weren’t for all of them,” said Stephen Bess. “To celebrate all of this in my hometown of Nashville is surreal. Thank you City of Hope, and thank you Nashville!”

The meeting will be the emotional highlight of the game, held during CMA Music Festival at the new First Tennessee Park. After the meeting, both Stephen and his bone marrow donor will play alongside country artists Aaron Watson, Charles Esten, Chuck Wicks, Lauren Alaina, Lindsay Ell, Little Big Town, Love and Theft, Vince Gill and many more to strike out cancer with City of Hope.

A pioneer in the treatment of bone and blood marrow diseases, City of Hope has performed more than 12,000 lifesaving bone marrow transplants. It also is a leading biomedical research institute for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. The City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game, presented by Staples and sponsored by PEOPLE Country, raises funds for that research.

“City of Hope is extremely grateful for the continuing support of the Nashville community and the fans of the Celebrity Softball Game,” said City of Hope CEO and President Robert W. Stone. “This kind of commitment enables our doctors and researchers to more quickly speed breakthrough discoveries into new therapies for our patients and for cancer patients worldwide. This event in Nashville brings home the fact that City of Hope’s impact extends far beyond our hospital and research labs in California, improving the lives of people nationwide and worldwide.”

Bess’ connection to City of Hope began when he was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in 2012. He’s now overjoyed at the prospect of celebrating his second chance at life in his native city.

Born at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Bess has deep roots in Music City as the step grandson of Tootsie Bess, the namesake of legendary honkytonk, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. He grew up in Middle Tennessee riding dirt bikes, fishing and playing baseball while he attended Montgomery Bell Academy.

In 1995, Bess left for Houston’s Rice University, later playing with the Detroit Tigers Minor League system from 1999 to 2004. After sports-related injuries precipitated an early retirement and a move to Southern California, Bess was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in 2012. He was immediately sent to City of Hope. There, Bess underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy while the difficult search for a bone-marrow match commenced. Bess’ perfect counterpart was discovered nine time zones away -- in Germany -- where a young man new to the marrow registry generously volunteered stem cells that would save Bess’ life.

"Staples is thrilled to support the Celebrity Softball Game’s 25th Anniversary,” said Ron Sargent, Staples chairman and chief executive officer. “We are proud sponsors of City of Hope’s mission to ‘Strike Out Cancer’ via research, treatment and the mission to save lives."

Each year, the Celebrity Softball Game regularly features some of Country Music’s biggest and hottest stars. Over the years, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Scotty McCreery, Vince Gill and many more have taken to the field in support of City of Hope’s lifesaving mission.

City of Hope is an independent biomedical research institution and comprehensive cancer center where scientists and physicians quickly transform scientific discoveries into better treatments and prevention strategies for people around the world. Support from the Nashville community and its country music artists directly benefit City of Hope’s mission to find cures for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

Tickets for the game can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Get more information on the game and the line-up of celebrities at www.cityofhope.org/softball. Those not able to attend the game can still support the cause. A variety of unique merchandise and experiences, including meet-and-greets with the hottest artists, will be available for bid at charitybuzz.com. The proceeds will benefit City of Hope’s mission to eradicate cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

#CMAFEST2015 - THE STARS ALIGN AS AARON WATSON, CHARLES ESTEN, CHUCK WICKS, LAUREN ALAINA, LINDSAY ELL, LITTLE BIG TOWN, LOVE AND THEFT, AND VINCE GILL PREPARE TO STRIKE OUT CANCER

25th anniversary game benefitting City of Hope to be held June 13 at new 

First Tennessee Park in Nashville

Tickets On Sale Now at Ticketmaster.com

Nashville, Tennessee - (April 30, 2015) – The stars are aligning for the 25th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game, a fan favorite event and longstanding tradition of CMA Music Festival! Suiting up to play in this year’s game are country traditionalist and Billboard albums chart topper Aaron Watson; “Nashville” star and singer/songwriter Charles Esten; “Stealing Cinderella” singer and national radio morning show co-host Chuck Wicks; rising country star and “American Idol” finalist Lauren Alaina; guitar slayer and country music vocalist Lindsay Ell; reigning ACM and CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town; and hitmakers Love and Theft.  After a twenty-year run playing in the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game, country music icon Vince Gill is returning to the field for this special milestone event. The full line-up of celebrity players stepping up to the plate on the Grand Ole Opry and iHeartRadio teams will be announced in the coming weeks.

Taking place on June 13 at 9 a.m. from the state-of-the-art field at First Tennessee Park in Nashville, Tennessee, the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game is gearing up to celebrate 25 years of striking out cancer. Tickets for the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game are on sale now at Ticketmaster.

Each year, the Celebrity Softball Game regularly features some of Country Music’s biggest and hottest stars. Over the years, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Scotty McCreery, Vince Gill and many more have taken to the field in support of City of Hope’s lifesaving mission.

City of Hope is an independent biomedical research institution and comprehensive cancer center where scientists and physicians quickly transform scientific discoveries into better treatments and prevention strategies for people around the world. Support from the Nashville community and its country music artists directly benefit City of Hope’s mission to find cures for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

Tickets for the game can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Get more information on the game and the line-up of celebrities at www.cityofhope.org/softball. Those not able to attend the game can still support the cause. A variety of unique merchandise and experiences, including meet-and-greets with the hottest artists, will be available for bid at charitybuzz.com. The proceeds will benefit City of Hope’s mission to eradicate cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

#CMAFEST2015 - CITY OF HOPE CELEBRITY SOFTBALL GAME CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF STRIKING OUT CANCER AT CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL

Milestone Event to be held June 13 at First Tennessee Park in Nashville

Tickets On Sale Now at Ticketmaster.com

Nashville, Tennessee - (April 2, 2015) - A fan favorite event and longstanding tradition of CMA Music Festival, the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game will commemorate 25 years of striking out cancer on June 13 at 9am from the new First Tennessee Park in Nashville.

The 2015 milestone event will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Celebrity Softball Game, which has seen Country Music’s biggest stars, including Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Scotty McCreery, Vince Gill and many more, take to the field over the years in support of City of Hope’s lifesaving mission.

Tickets for the 25thAnnual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game are on sale now at Ticketmaster. The full line-up of celebrity players stepping up to the plate on the Grand Ole Opry and iHeartRadio teams will be announced in the coming weeks.

City of Hope is a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Researchers and doctors at the institution quickly transform scientific discoveries into better treatments and prevention strategies for people around the world. Support from the Nashville community and its country music artists directly benefit City of Hope’s mission to find cures for cancer.

Tickets for the game can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Learn the latest on the line-up of celebrities and game information at www.cityofhope.org/softball. Those not able to attend the game can still support the cause. A variety of unique merchandise and experiences, including meet-and-greets with the hottest artists, will be available for bid at charitybuzz.com. The proceeds will benefit City of Hope’s mission to eradicate cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

CHUCK WICKS USES LIVE STREAMING CONCERT ON STAGEIT.COM TO RAISE MONEY FOR CITY OF HOPE

Photo Credit: Jim Wright

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - May 2, 2014 – Country music star Chuck Wicks recently hosted an intimate StageIt show benefitting City of Hope in its efforts to fight life-threatening diseases. Wicks’ performance, taped in Nashville, Tenn. raised more than $4,000 for the organization through ticket sales and tips. His set included his current top 40 single “Us Again” among other fan requests. The performance provided a unique, one-on-one experience for viewers while streaming live to each viewer’s computer. The set was made more personal by viewers’ ability to request songs with donations via StageIt.com.

Wicks will continue his support of City of Hope at the annual Celebrity Softball Game on Saturday, June 5. Tickets to the game can be purchased here. All proceeds benefit City of Hope’s mission to find cures and better treatments for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

CMA FEST 2014: CITY OF HOPE CELEBRITY SOFTBALL GAME SET FOR JUNE 7

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE HERE

The City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game is set to take place on June 7 during CMA Music Fest. Participants include Florida Georgia Line's Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, Brantley Gilbert, Brothers Osborne, Chase Rice, Chuck Wicks, Craig Morgan, Dustin Lynch, Lauren Alaina, Jamie Lynn Spears, Sara Darling, Kree Harrison and Alison Sweeney. Proceeds will benefit the City of Hope cancer and disease research and treatment.