Toby Keith Brings The Independence Fund to Center Stage

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MULTI-PLATINUM singer and songwriter Toby Keith along with The Independence Fund will be presenting catastrophically wounded Veterans $16,000 all-terrain tracked wheelchairs onstage across the nation during select 2019 THAT'S COUNTRY BRO! TOUR concerts. The relationship between the Veteran nonprofit and Toby Keith began in the summer of 2019 when gifts of these life-changing devices took place on stage.

During the THAT'S COUNTRY BRO! TOUR, Toby Keith teamed up with Veteran nonprofit The Independence Fund, for the first of 4 all-terrain tracked wheelchair presentations on August 16 in Highland Heights, KY. Wounded U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Christian "Chris" Fleming, who lost both his legs to an IED in Afghanistan in 2009, was greeted by a standing ovation from the more than 10K concert-goers when he arrived onstage and was presented his brand new all-terrain chair. Fleming was able to meet with Toby Keith prior to the show and a representative from The Independence Fund was able to discuss its mission and highlight the text-to-give campaign while on stage. During the September 27 performance in Pittsburgh, PA, an all-terrain chair was presented to wounded U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Brandon Rumbaugh, who lost both of his legs to an IED, while also carrying a fellow Marine to safety, in Afghanistan in 2012. Over 5K members of the audience were able to thank him for his service and Toby Keith again spent time in advance with the Veteran. The Charleston, SC crowd welcomed U.S. Air Force Veteran Dustin Baker, who suffered paralysis after three consecutive deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Everyone knows Toby Keith's love of this country and his support of our troops," says Sarah Verardo, CEO of The Independence Fund. "Seeing how moved Toby was after the first presentation and his continued interest in supporting our wounded Veterans is thrilling. We are beyond grateful for the support he has shown our organization and more specifically heroes like Chris, Brandon and Dustin. It's a very exciting time to cultivate our relationship with Toby. To be able to honor the Veteran by having them join him onstage for the presentation really highlights the respect he has for both our current military members and our wounded Veterans, who have sacrificed so much for our country."

The Independence Fund, a national nonprofit organization assisting the country's wounded, ill, and injured Veterans and their Caregivers, has provided more than 2,400 of these all-terrain chairs through its mobility program since its 2007 inception. The chairs provide wounded Veterans the ability to regain independence lost through their injuries.

At the shows, Toby Keith will continue to be joined by members of The Independence Fund's team to present life-changing wheelchairs to wounded Veterans.

Scheduled Chair Presentations

• 8/16 Highland Heights, KY
• 9/27 Pittsburgh, PA
• 10/5 Charleston, SC
• 11/9 Laughlin, NV

For more information on The Independence Fund, follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter (@IndyFund) and Instagram (@independencefund), or visit www.independencefund.org.

For more on Toby Keith, visit TobyKeith.com and keep up with him on Twitter (@TobyKeith), Facebook and Instagram (@TobyKeith).

About Toby Keith
Toby Keith Coval is an American country singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Keith released his first four studio albums before leaving Mercury in 1998. These albums all earned Gold or higher certification, and produced several Top Ten singles, including his debut "Should've Been a Cowboy", which topped the country charts and was the most-played country song of the 1990s. The song has received three million spins since its release.

Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 1998, Keith released his breakthrough single "How Do You Like Me Now?" in late 1999. This song, the title track to his 1999 album of the same name, was the number one country song of 2000, and one of several chart-toppers during his tenure on DreamWorks Nashville. His next three albums produced three more number ones each, and all of the albums were certified 4x Platinum. A second Greatest Hits package followed in 2004, and after that, he released Honkytonk University.

When DreamWorks closed in 2005, Keith founded the label Show Dog Nashville, which merged with Universal South Records to become Show Dog-Universal Music in December 2009. He has released ten studio albums through Show Dog/Show Dog-Universal, as well as the compilation 35 Biggest Hits in 2008. Keith also made his acting debut in 2006, starring in the film. Broken Bridges, and co-starred with comedian Rodney Carrington in the 2008 film Beer for My Horses, inspired by his song of the same name.

Keith has released 19 studio albums, two Christmas albums, and five compilation albums; a total worldwide sales of over 40 million albums. He has charted 61 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including 20 number one hits and 21 additional top 10 hits. His longest-lasting number one hits are "Beer for My Horses" (a 2003 duet with Willie Nelson) and "As Good as I Once Was" (2005), at six weeks each.

About The Independence Fund
Established in 2007, The Independence Fund is a national Veterans Service Organization dedicated to meeting the unmet needs of catastrophically wounded Veterans, Caregivers, and their families through a variety of programs. To learn more, visit www.independencefund.org.

SOURCE The Independence Fund

Related Links

http://independencefund.org/