CMT Blog: Archive

Back in 1999, my friend Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer. In addition to bringing her casseroles and watching her kids on her chemo days, my girlfriends and I were desperate to do something more. So the next time we played Bunco (a mindless-but-thoroughly-fun dice game we play once a month), we decided to donate our winnings to breast cancer research. Then we told some other Bunco groups about it, and they did the same thing. And so on and so on, across the country, for eight years now. We've since raised more than $673,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Mary counts herself one of the luckiest survivors. What started as just a girl's night out has evolved into this grass-roots effort that continues to bring in cash for a good cause. And when I say girl's night out, I mean hours of good country music, cold beer and lots of laughs. Even Naomi Judd has gotten involved, because she's an avid Bunco player herself.

If you play Bunco, you can do this. Set out some chips and load your mp3 player with country songs about strong women, motherhood or just good girlfriends. It's a charity that is so easy to say yes to -- just like the CMT One Country efforts, designed to help country fans make a difference right this minute. Sometimes with a checkbook. And sometimes by working at a hometown prom-dress giveaway, serving breakfast to the homeless or sponsoring a foster child. The point is, everyone has it in them to be a hero. Teenagers do. Seniors do. You do. If country music fans are as passionate about doing good as they are about the music, the world will be a much better place.