Rascal Flatts Nashville Concert Swells to Largest Fund-raising Event for Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

Rascal Flatts Nashville Concert Swells to Largest Fund-raising Event for Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

$600,000 Donated to the Hospital

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- ACM & CMA Vocal Group of the Year RASCAL FLATTS have donated proceeds from this past weekend's sold-out concert at Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. The $600,000 donation becomes the largest fund-raising event ever for the hospital, which includes a donation from Rascal Flatts of $350,000 from concert proceeds, and a $250,000 donation from their record label, Lyric Street Records, and its parent company, Disney.

Midway through the Rascal Flatts set, they invited Lyric Street's Randy Goodman and two doctors from Vanderbilt on stage to make the official donation and then lead singer Gary LeVox thanked all the fans in attendance, saying, "It's your fault! All your money did this tonight! Thanks for helping."

Earlier in the evening at a pre-show VIP party, Gary, Jay and Joe Don accepted framed picture collages made by all the children at the hospital. They were presented to the guys by three patients whom they had met Sept. 14 during a visit to the hospital.

The Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is a leading provider of pediatric healthcare, ranked #8 among the nation's children's hospitals and #7 in the care of children with cancer by Child magazine. Pediatric Research at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital has more than doubled its standing in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) rankings in the past year and is ranked #8 in the nation for NIH funding with 51 awards totaling $17.9 million. Vanderbilt Children's hospital is also the pediatric teaching hospital of Vanderbilt Medical School. The new 206-bed facility combines high level pediatric and sub-specialty treatment, research and academics under one roof. Programs include Centers of Excellence for the treatment of diabetes and congenital heart disorders. Specialty programs include pediatric heart transplant and cardiology, bone marrow transplant, a level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology among other specialized programs. Research programs include an internationally renowned vaccine research program, genetics, childhood development and autism, fetal surgery and more. For more information go to www.vanderbiltchildrens.com

For more information on Disney's commitment to children's hospitals around the country, visit www.DisneyHand.com.

Source: Rascal Flatts

CONTACT: Jessie Schmidt of Schmidt Relations, +1-615-846-3878, for Rascal Flatts, or Carole Bartoo of Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, +1-615-322-4747

Web site: http://www.vanderbiltchildrens.com/ http://www.disneyhand.com/

------- Profile: Ent