Camp Southern Ground Hosts Third Annual Evening To Remember Benefit Featuring Zac Brown Band

ATLANTA, Dec. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, November 30th Camp Southern Ground, the non-profit passion project of multiplatinum GRAMMY Award-winning artist Zac Brown, held its third annual Evening To Remember benefit to support the continued growth of the campus and programming. The evening was the most successful in the three-year history of the event, raising over $2 million, amongst an intimate gathering of less than 200 donors.

Camp Southern Ground, located 30 miles south of Atlanta, stretches across more than 400 acres and serves children ages 7-17, from all socioeconomic backgrounds, races and religions, with activities to challenge, educate and inspire campers. As an inclusive camp, Camp Southern Ground brings together typically developing children, children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), learning and attention issues, social or emotional challenges, and those with family members serving in the military. During summer, Camp Southern Ground hosts campers for week-long residential camps. In the non-summer months, the state of the art facilities are utilized in conjunction with industry leading organizations to support veterans and their families transitioning back to civilian life.

Camp President and CEO, Mike Dobbs, thanked donors and communicated 2018 was a special year as it transitioned from talking about visions and plans to deliver programs and results for both children and veterans alike for the first time. Dobbs also announced the launch of a $76 million capital campaign in which it has already raised $43 million during its friends and family phase.

Brown appeared on stage with Camp Director Scott Hicok and thanked the crowd for their years of support. Brown highlighted that this year's event was a true milestone for Camp Southern Ground as the campus opened its first week-long overnight camps in June 2018, thanks to the funds An Evening To Remember has raised over the years.

"This event is always special because we get to share the success of Camp Southern Ground with our Atlanta community. This isn't my camp, this is everyone's camp and each year the guests that join us, whether they've supported from the start or this is their first evening with us, leave at the end of the night knowing they're helping to create a lasting legacy," said Brown.

This year's benefit was hosted by The Home Depot co-founder and owner of the Atlanta Falcons, Arthur M. Blank and his wife Angie. The evening was attended and supported by presenters such as Wendy Lee Barton, Cara Isdell Lee and Zak Lee, The Novak Foundation, The Freeman Foundation, SunTrust Bank and Mercedes Benz. Sponsors and guests of the night also included The Menear Foundation, Laurice and Douglas Haynes, Emeril Lagasse Foundation and Serling, Rooks, Hunter, McKoy, Worob & Averill, LLP. Live auction donations were made possible by the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, CAA, Guy Fieri and many other generous supporters.

Celebrity guest chef, Food Network star and American Restaurateur Guy Fieri, collaborated with Zac Brown Band Executive Chef Rusty Hamlin, Camp Southern Ground Chef Collins Woods and Atlanta-based Proof of the Pudding on the evening's three-course meal. Robin Meade, CNN journalist and Anchor of HLN's "Morning Express," served as emcee and in a special surprise took to the stage with Zac Brown Band to perform her rendition of The Doobie Brothers' Long Train Runnin'. Guests helped create Zac Brown Band's set list for the evening which included hits like Chicken Fried and Free. The band also performed their new single "Someone I Used to Know" for the first time live since debuting it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in November.

ABOUT CAMP SOUTHERN GROUND
Mission-driven, Camp Southern Ground offers children and veterans a world-class campus in a beautiful natural setting, with groundbreaking programs that inspire individuals to magnify their gifts, enhance their perspectives of self, empower them to overcome limitations, and spread love to impact their world. With state-of-the-art buildings and outdoor spaces, Camp Southern Ground is a one-of-a-kind place of learning and growth designed with children and veterans of diverse abilities and skill sets in mind, and will become a timeless institution that is the cornerstone of education, research and innovation. Camp Southern Ground is registered non-profit, 501(c)(3).

For more information on Camp Southern Ground please contact Alyssa Goodman at [email protected] or 586.567.0136 or visit CampSouthernGround.org.

ABOUT ZAC BROWN BAND
Zac Brown Band is a multiplatinum, Grammy Award-Winning Southern Rock group lead by frontman Zac Brown. Throughout their career, Zac Brown Band has had five consecutive albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and four consecutive albums debut at #1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart. To date, the group has sold more than 30 million singles and 9 million albums. They have achieved 15 #1 radio singles and are the second act to top both the Country and Active Rock formats. Since their debut, Zac Brown Band has developed a reputation with critics and fans alike as one of the most dynamic live performers, marked by strong musicianship that defies genre boundaries. 

The band is represented by CAA and public relations firm JONESWORKS. Additional information can be found at http://www.zacbrownband.com/.

SOURCE Camp Southern Ground