COUNTRY MUSIC CARES FOR CHRISTMAS KIDS

Country Music Cares (aka Jennifer and mom Debbie) started an organization ten years ago called Christmas Kids to help out some of the needy kids in Paducah, Kentucky. Every year, they provide presents to select students at appointed schools. One requirement is they are not supposed to receive help from any other service. Each child receives a coat, a few outfits of clothing, shoes, socks, underwear, a toy, etc. Many of these children will receive little or nothing for Christmas without this help.

While there is no shortage of charitable causes for children - especially at Christmas - and we all have our favorites we contribute to, this group got a hold of my heart because of the strong connection to country music fans.

Whitney Duncan fans started a challenge around Thanksgiving to all other artist fan groups, to donate ten cents for every new Follower they got from Twitter by December 10th (dubbed 10until10). DB Congress joined the band-wagon and reached a milestone of 500 Followers! In total, if I had to guess, this cause raised awareness among Twitter country music fans in excess of 2,000 new followers for Dierks Bentley, Blake Shelton, Josh Thompson, Whitney Duncan and many others! And that's just ten cents from each new follower, not to mention CMC is up to $700 in donations for their auction of artist autographs!

I will be sending a check to Jennifer on behalf of DBC. If any DBC reps would like to contribute, please email me at ronna@dbcongress.com.

Thank you Jennifer and Debbie! Please let us know how many kids your cause helped in 2009!

TEN UNTIL TEN: DB CONGRESS AMONG THE MANY

Mother/daughter team Jennifer and Debbie of Country Music Cares and their family started "Christmas Kids" over 10 years ago by providing presents like coats, clothes, shoes, and toys to needy kids who would receive little or nothing for Christmas without their help.

This year, CMC is holding an ebay auction of country music artist autographs, with proceeds going to the kids.

Whitney Duncan fans on Twitter, decided to donate $0.10 for every new follower until the 10th of December. Upon posting that article & beginning to Tweet the word many other fan Twitters have joined the effort--dubbed "Ten Until Ten" -- including DB Congress!

In addition, DB Congress will donate an additional 10 cents to any follower who joins the Dierks Bentley Fan Club and DB Congress between now and December 10th!

If you're not on Twitter, join us now! If so, please tweet to all your followers! If you'd like to contribute, send me an email to Ronna@dbcongress.com.

WHAT DIERKS BENTLEY SONG HAS TOUCHED YOUR HEART?

I know it's hard to name just one Dierks Bentley song that has touched your heart. But our friends over at Country Music Cares (who were recently featured in Country Weekly!) are having a contest. Just tell them which song has touched your heart and why, and you could win! Two 'caring' participants will receive a copy of the Kohl’s “Christmas in the Country” CD that supports Kohl’s Cares for Kids!

If you're on Twitter, after you post, be sure to tweet: “I just shared a country music song that has touched my heart & you should too on @CntryMusicCares & you might win!”

Now, since you heard this here, no fair posting a non-Dierks song over there! (haha)

DB CONGRESS CARES FOR KIDS AND COUNTRY MUSIC

(Lee Ann and hubby at Last Call Ball V)

Our very own Kentucky DBC rep, LeeAnn, got published! CountryMusicCares.net posted her story about her experience and other DBC reps who attended Dierks Bentley’s Miles And Music For Kids in Nashville earlier this month.

See the story here.