CMT Blog: Archive

Dierks Bentley will be riding his motorcycle into downtown Nashville on Sunday (Oct. 11) during his fourth annual Miles & Music for Kids event, with the charity ride culminating in an all-star concert. Yet, Bentley still remembers that first year, in 2006, when he was worried about the fundraiser for Nashville's children's hospital. "That was the big goal. We didn't know who was going to show up. We had a lot of artists donating their time, like Jeff Foxworthy and Montgomery Gentry," he said. "We ended up making $100,000 so it ended up exceeding expectations. I was nervous, you know, the first time trying to pull something off. You've got cops involved, a lot of volunteers and artists and fans, and you want to make sure it's a great experience for everybody. And it ended up working out."

Bentley has partnered with CMT One Country for similar events across the U.S. "It's so inspiring. It's so fun. It's a win-win situation," Bentley says. "Everyone has a good time. You're raising money for a great cause. You're helping these kids out and having a great time doing it. The fans are hearing great music, and they know the money's not even actually going to the artist. It's going to the hospital. So it makes that ticket price a little more affordable knowing that the money's going to a great cause.

"At the end of the night, we know exactly how much money we've raised, so we write it on a big check and hold it up so everyone can see what they've been a part of," he says. "It's hard to have that much fun and do that much good in a short amount of time, so it's an honor to be the host and to be a part of it."