Craig Campbell and Friends Unite to Raise Awareness For Colorectal Cancer at 2019 Celebrity Cornhole Challenge
The cause is near and dear to Campbell's heart.
The word “proud” surfaces more than once when Craig Campbell discusses his annual Craig Campbell Celebrity Cornhole Challenge. Campbell created the event in 2013 as a way to raise money and awareness for colorectal cancer, a disease that his father passed away from at the age of 36. His motivation for drawing attention to the disease has inspired his friends to become educated as well, several of whom return each year for the fundraising cornhole tournament.
The “Family Man” singer notes that raising $300,000 for Fight Colorectal Cancer, an advocacy group that works to find a cure, through the event is rewarding, the support he’s received from the Nashville community is equally fulfilling. “I’m proud of that,” he tells Sounds Like Nashville and other media. “But I’m also proud of the people that participate. I have some really cool friends in this business, and for them to donate their time and their ‘celebrityhood’ to this event is pretty awesome.”
Two multi-year participants who’ve gained valuable insight into colorectal cancer are Campbell’s friends Jerrod Niemann and Dee Jay Silver. Niemann has played in each tournament since its inception, citing the Cornhole Challenge as one of his favorite events. “I know that the cause is near and dear to his heart, which over the years I’ve learned a lot more about it, so it’s a cause that means a lot to me,” Niemann says.For Dee Jay Silver, a country DJ who’s toured with the likes of Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line, the event opened his eyes to the wide-ranging impact of the disease. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 140,000 people in the U.S. get colorectal cancer each year.
“When Craig told me he had this event for charity – I’ve heard of the charity, I’ve heard of the cause – but I really wasn’t affected by it. But I started digging, and you realize how many people are affected. Anything that means that much to a friend of mine means something to me, and then you get invested in it,” Silver explains. “If we could change one person’s life, help even get one person like me that knew nothing about it talking about it, I feel like we won. Eventually, we’ll find a cure for it.”
Like Campbell, the event hits close to home for second time player Lauren Alaina. Her grandfather had colorectal cancer and she views the Cornhole Challenge as an opportunity to spotlight an important issue through a creative vessel. “This isn’t even singing, this is just something fun, and we get to raise awareness for a good cause. It’s a win-win,” she says.
Mark Wills made his attendance at the 2019 installment a priority six months in advance. The recently inducted Grand Ole Opry member says that scheduling conflicts have delayed his participation in past tournaments, but he made a sincere effort to be present at the 7th annual event. He reached out to Campbell in December inquiring about the event date, marking it in his calendar to ensure his presence. “I think colorectal cancer is not something that gets a lot of focus publicly. We focus a lot on diabetes research, cancer research in general,” he describes. “But when there’s something that affects somebody personally like colorectal cancer did for Craig and his dad passed away from it, somebody who I consider a friend, I wanted to come help out, I wanted to come be a part of it.”
Campbell has experienced how the event’s mission has resonated with others, particularly when a reporter on the red carpet thanked him for hosting it, as her father had recently passed away from the disease. “Those are the stories you hear, and we’re doing everything we can. I’m proud of what we’ve done,” he reflects, believing that his father would be honored by his work in helping to eradicate the disease that impacted their lives. “Unfortunately it took him passing away for me to have the desire to focus my energies to raising awareness and money for colorectal cancer,” Campbells says, turning his gaze to the sky. “But he is proud.”
This year, the Craig Campbell Celebrity Cornhole Challenge raised more than $35,000.
