Meijer LPGA Community Concert presented by General Mills to Feature Gary Allan and Big & Rich

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Meijer LPGA Classic presented by Kraft has partnered with General Mills to provide a community concert featuring some of country music's biggest stars – Gary Allan and Big & Rich – on Aug. 9 at Fifth Third Ballpark, tournament officials announced today.

Country music fans will recognize Gary Allan on the heels of his newly-released album, "Set You Free," which recently reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. Multi-platinum fan favorites, Big & Rich, will also take to the stage to entertain the crowd.

"We promised that the Meijer LPGA Classic presented by Kraft was going to offer something for everyone in the Grand Rapids community, and we aim to deliver," Meijer President J.K. Symancyk said. "Thanks to our partnership with General Mills, this community concert is another exciting way for Meijer to strengthen the communities where our customers and team members work and live."

Like the tournament, proceeds from the community concert will support local food pantries in the communities Meijer serves through its Simply Give program. The Simply Give program has generated more than $9 million for food pantries in the Midwest since its inception in November 2008.  

"We are excited to see the two events come together and look forward to seeing golf and music fans enjoy a week of festivities in Grand Rapids," Tournament Director Lesley Baker said. 

Concert tickets will go on sale on June 26 at www.meijerlpgaclassic.com and will start at $10 each.

The LPGA Tour event will host a full-field of 144 players playing 72 holes of stroke play over four days of competition at Blythefield Country Club, August 7-10. The tournament marks the tour's first stop in Michigan since 2000 when the Oldsmobile Classic in East Lansing ended its 9-year-run, as well as the first annual golf event in Michigan's Lower Peninsula since 2009 when the PGA Tour hosted the Buick Open in Grand Blanc.  

Contacts:

Lesley Baker, Tournament Director, Octagon
[email protected] or 616-426-6225

Christina Fecher, Community Relations Specialist, Meijer
[email protected] or 616-735-7968

About Meijer Simply Give
Meijer is a family-owned retailer based in Grand Rapids, Mich. with a fundamental philosophy aimed at strengthening the communities it serves. Meijer operates 210 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, and proudly donates more than 6 percent of its net profit each year to charities throughout the Midwest. With hunger as a corporate philanthropic focus, Meijer partners with hundreds of food banks and pantries through its Simply Give and food rescue programs. Meijer also supports education, disaster relief, and health and wellness initiatives. For additional information on Meijer philanthropy, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.

About Blythefield Country Club
Located just north of Grand Rapids, Blythefield has been providing families the best golf and social experience in West Michigan since 1928. With the Rogue River flowing through, Blythefield boasts one of the most beautiful championship layouts in Michigan. Previously, Blythefield has hosted the 1953 Western Amateur, the 1961 Western Open, won by Arnold Palmer, and the 2005 Western Junior won by Rickie Fowler. Beginning in 2014 Blythefield is honored to host the Meijer LPGA Classic. Learn more about Blythefield Country Club at www.blythefieldcc.org.

About the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association)
The LPGA is the world's leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950, the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing more than 30 different countries. With a Vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women's golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while dedicated LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management. The Symetra Tour consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via: www.LPGA.com, www.facebook.com/lpga.official, www.twitter.com/lpga, and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo.

About Octagon Global Events
Octagon Global Events is a division of Octagon, the world's largest sports and entertainment representation and marketing agency. Octagon Global Events focuses on premium event/property management, providing strategic corporate solutions. The division currently manages two Champions Tour events, two LPGA Tour events and the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. For more information, visit http://www.octagonglobalevents.com.

About Gary Allan
With the allure of a modern day outlaw, Gary Allan has won over legions of fans with his signature blend of rugged vocals, rebellious lyrics and raucous live performances.  He has sold over 7 million albums and released five platinum and gold albums in a row including three that topped the Billboard Country Albums Chart, with his latest, SET YOU FREE, also topping the Billboard 200.  Allan has topped the singles charts with five #1 hits at country radio and has nearly a dozen Top 10 hits to his credit.  He has been described as "dark and dreamy" in Entertainment Weekly, "soulful and rough around the edges" in Playboy and deemed a "maverick" by Rolling Stone.  He has sold out venues as a headliner from coast to coast, appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Live with Kelly and Michael and Jimmy Kimmel Live and has landed on the covers of Country Weekly, Pollstar and People magazine.  While becoming a force on the country music scene, Allan has remained true to his artistic voice each step of the way.

About Big & Rich
Big & Rich is comprised of Kenny Alphin and The Celebrity Apprentice winner John Rich. The multi-platinum hit duo have garnered multiple GRAMMY, ACM, CMA and CMT Music Award nominations and were recently nominated as the 2014 ACM Vocal Duo of the Year. Their current single "Look At You," which is racing up the charts, is from their forthcoming studio album to be released this fall titled "Gravity." Their first studio album, "Horse of a Different Color," includes their infectious hit single, "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)." Other hits include, "Comin' to Your City," "8th of November" and their No. 1 hit "Lost in this Moment." "Comin' to Your City" is nearing a decade as the theme song for ESPN's College GameDay show.

SOURCE Meijer