Alabama News

Just in time for the launch of the auction today, BAMA RISING organizers have added several auction items, including a NASCAR experience with 5-time champion Jimmie Johnson. The package includes a personal meet-and-greet, passes to the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Fest, suite passes to the Bank of America 500 Sprint Cup, a VIP garage/pit tour and an autographed No. 48 Team Lowe’s Racing fire suit from the 2009 championship season. Organizers have also added a Gibson guitar, hand-painted by Nashville artist Sam Bass and signed by all artists scheduled to perform at “BAMA RISING: A Benefit Concert for Alabama Tornado Recovery,” presented by Verizon.

The BAMA RISING online charity auction opens at 11 a.m. CST today on leading charity auction site charitybuzz at www.charitybuzz.com/bamarising. The auction runs through 11 a.m. CST Thursday, June 16, and includes several artist meet-and-greets, tickets for two in Terry Saban’s box for a 2011 University of Alabama football game, and a football signed by top round draft picks and UA alumni Julio Jones, Marcell Darius and Mark Ingram.

VIP packages are still available through Ticketmaster for the June 14th benefit being held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC). The concert will feature performances by ALABAMA, who is spearheading the event, Brad Paisley, Sara Evans, Sheryl Crow and numerous other artists.

All ticket sales and auction proceeds will benefit the Bama Rising Fund, established by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham to support long-term recovery statewide in the wake of the April 2011 tornadoes that devastated Alabama. Decisions about how to deploy BAMA RISING concert proceeds and gifts to the Bama Rising Fund will be made by an advisory committee including representatives of the artists, promoters and the Community Foundation.

BAMA RISING encourages fans to donate $10 to the Bama Rising Fund by texting “BAMA” to 501501. Text messaging rates will apply, and the $10 donation will be added to the donor’s cell phone bill.

For more information on VIP packages or to donate, go to www.bamarising.org.

Bama Rising is presented by Red Mountain Entertainment and AEG Live/The Messina Group.

“BAMA RISING”

Confirmed performers (in alphabetical order):
ALABAMA
Rodney Atkins
Dierks Bentley
Bo Bice
Luke Bryan
Sheryl Crow
Sara Evans
Taylor Hicks
Little Big Town
Martina McBride
Montgomery Gentry
David Nail
Jake Owen
Brad Paisley
Kellie Pickler
Darius Rucker
Ashton Shepherd
The Blind Boys of Alabama

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About The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham:
The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham is the oldest and largest community foundation in Alabama, dedicated to driving positive change through grants, leveraging donor giving to meet community needs, and works with other organizations to collaborate and bring resources together. The Community Foundation has experience in distributing donations in previous disasters, including tornadoes in 1998 and 2002 and following the evacuation of survivors of Hurricane Katrina survivors to the Birmingham area in 2005. For more information, go to www.foundationbirmingham.org.

About ALABAMA (the group):
With a career to date that has resulted in 21 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum albums, 42 number one singles and over 73 million records sold, ALABAMA has received over 150 industry awards including 8 country music "Entertainer of the Year" honors, 2 Grammys, 2 People's Choice Awards and their very own star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame." The band most recently received the Academy of Country Music's Pioneer Award in 2003 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Members Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry, and Jeff Cook all hail from Ft. Payne, ALABAMA and have enjoyed more than 30 years of unprecedented success.

About charitybuzz:
A leader in cause marketing, charitybuzz (www.charitybuzz.com) aligns nonprofits with international brands and celebrity icons to raise funds through innovative online auctions. Featuring pop culture experiences, VIP events, luxury travel, fine art, couture fashion, coveted internships and sports memorabilia, charitybuzz brings its online community of upscale, socially conscious bidders exclusive opportunities to truly doGOOD and liveWELL. Charitybuzz generated $25 million in 2010 for charities around the globe. To learn more, please visit www.charitybuzz.com, email info@charitybuzz.com, fan us on facebook at www.facebook.com/charitybuzz or follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/charitybuzz