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Charlie Daniels, Gary Sinise pack Allen Arena in support of Yellow Ribbon Program

Kim Chaudoin | 

Chris Young, Darryl Worley, The Grascals and special guests Rascal Flatts helped Daniels and Sinise salute veterans and support Lipscomb’s Yellow Ribbon Program

Click below to see coverage of the event

Talk of the Town, WZTV-FOX17, WKRN-Channel 2, Nashville Scene

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A standing room crowd of more than 5,000 packed Allen Arena Tuesday night, March 6 to help actor Gary Sinise and legendary musician Charlie Daniels raise awareness and funds for Lipscomb University’s Yellow Ribbon Enhancement Program. Chris Young, Darryl Worley, The Grascals and special guests Rascal Flatts also rocked the house as part of this special event.

"The program at Lipscomb helps prepare veterans for the rest of their lives. I don't think we can ever do enough for our service people. Tonight we are serving them. They are very special people," said Daniels.

Daniels and friends are touring the country in 2012, creating greater awareness of the Veterans Yellow Ribbon education program. Lipscomb’s Yellow Ribbon Program offers eligible Post 9/11 GI Bill veterans and their family members an undergraduate degree tuition-free or a graduate degree tuition-free or at a greatly reduced tuition rate.

"We can always try to do a little bit more for our veterans since they have done so much for us. And, they're doing that here. It's a great program and I'm honored to be able to come and support it,” said Sinise.

During the program Lipscomb President L. Randolph Lowry announced the establishment of the Charlie Daniels Scholarship for Heroes Fund at Lipscomb University.

"The fund will be used exclusively to help our military heroes receive an excellent education here at LIpscomb," said Lowry.

Sinise, who currently plays Detective Mac Taylor on the CBS hit show “CSI:NY,” has family members who have served in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan and his father was in the Navy during the Korean War. When not filming the series, he travels worldwide performing for troops and their families with his Lt Dan Band.

Daniels and Sinise were joined by some of music’s hottest artists. Young’s current single, “YOU,” is his fifth consecutive No. 1 hit. Having just released his sixth album, Worley has 18 chart hits and has produced one of the most wide-ranging catalogs in contemporary music. The Grascals have become one of the most acclaimed bands on today’s bluegrass scene for their innovative mingling of bluegrass and country music. Special guests Rascal Flatts have seen 13 singles hit the top of the charts, spending more than eight months collectively at No. 1.

Event sponsors included iostudio, Lipscomb University, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Daily's, Humana, Spirit Broadband, Military Systems Group, Ezell Foundation, DSI and Aegis Science Labs.

 

About Lipscomb University’s Yellow Ribbon Enhancement Program

For veterans who qualify for 100 percent of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Lipscomb University has committed to allocate the necessary funds to allow them to earn a tuition-free undergraduate degree through the Yellow Ribbon Enhancement Program. The university also offers qualifying student veterans a variety of graduate degrees tuition-free or at a greatly reduced tuition rate.

Lipscomb University officials believe strongly in helping open doors for student veterans through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Since its inception in fall 2009, Lipscomb’s Yellow Ribbon Program has grown from 20 original participants to more than 150 veterans enrolled this spring. Students have performed well academically with 71 percent of currently enrolled student veterans maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA, with 13 percent of those maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA.

“Our veterans know that freedom isn’t free, but we think their education should be. At Lipscomb we have a very unique opportunity to help open doors for our veterans through higher education,” said Jim Humphrey, assistant dean of campus life and director of veterans services at Lipscomb.

For more information about Lipscomb University’s Yellow Ribbon Enhancement Program, call 615.966.5176 or visit veterans.lipscomb.edu.

 

About the federal Yellow Ribbon Program

In 2009, the Post-9/11 GI Bill was established as an education benefit program for individuals who served on active duty after Sept. 11, 2001. It is administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Based on a veteran’s length of service, he or she may be eligible to receive the cost of tuition and fees, not to exceed the most expensive in-state institution of higher education.