Giving Back
2008 was a year Charlie and Nan Kelley won’t forget. In April, Nan was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and started a 6 month regimen of chemo and radiation. Three weeks after her final treatment, Charlie was diagnosed with colon cancer following a routine colonoscopy. On Dec. 1, he underwent surgery to remove almost a foot of his colon. Thankfully, they both are fine now and moving ahead with new life missions.
Nan joined the efforts of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society supporting their Light the Night campaign. She speaks publicly on behalf of LLS and heads up Country Faces Cancer, where country stars like Blake Shelton & Miranda Lambert form walking teams with friends and fans to raise money for Light the Night.
Charlie became inspired to give back while recovering in the hospital from his surgery. A musician/performing artist, he put together the Stars Go Blue concert to benefit the Colon Cancer Alliance, calling on the talents of friends Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Hal Ketchum and others. Out of that night came membership on the national board for the CCA and the Blue Note Fund–created by Charlie and the CCA to help colon cancer patients who are in financial need.
If you’d like to help, here’s an easy and entertaining way to give and receive: download this tongue and cheek song that Charlie wrote about how colon cancer and his surgery left him a changed person!
For more information on The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and The Blue Note Fund please click the links below:
Also, please check out the Country Weekly magazine story about The Stars Go Blue Concert.