Kane Brown and Crown Royal Step Up to Support American Heroes

Do your part to help Brown and The Purple Bag Project send out 1 million care packages by the end of this year!

Written by Chris Parton
Kane Brown and Crown Royal Step Up to Support American Heroes
Kane Brown; Photo courtesy of Crown Royal/Taylor Strategy

Kane Brown has joined a mission to that’s near and dear to the country star’s heart — supporting American heroes in the military. But he needs a little civilian help to make it a success.

The “Worship You” singer and rising hit maker has partnered with Crown Royal Canadian whisky for The Purple Bag Project, which started in 2018 with the goal of sending out 1 Million care packages by the end of this year. With just just two months to go and the operation now expanded to support heroes battling COVID-19, the mission’s objective is nearly in sight, and Brown is ready to push it over the finish line.

“We’re super close, so I’m just trying to use my platform to get us there,” Brown tells Sounds Like Nashville, speaking over the phone after packing a Purple Bag of his own and filming the experience for social media.

Using the famous purple bags that each bottle of Crown Royal comes in, each care package includes a variety of simple-but-comforting everyday items from home, plus a personal note. It then gets sent to a soldier in the field (or a hero on the front lines of our battle agains COVID-19), and that small “thank you” goes a long way. It not only serves as a welcome treat and a comforting connection to home, but like a pat on the back to say “we’re with you.”

The mission started after Army infantryman Christian Lewis enlisted in the wake of 9/11, and his mother began sending small care packages to keep his spirits up. That effort grew and eventually evolved into the Packages From Home initiative, which continues on today and has been bolstered by the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project — and it’s a cause that means a lot to Brown.

A number of Brown’s family members are veterans of conflicts like World War II, and in 2019 he took the military-inspired “Homesick” to Number One on the country charts, even going so far as to record a remix with veterans that also helped the Purple Bag Project. And before his music career kicked off, Kane Brown himself aimed to join his family’s tradition.

“I tried to join the Army,” he explains. “I took my ASVAB [Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery] test and passed, but I had a lot of tattoos on my hands that you could see if I was in uniform.”

The thought of a painful series of tattoo removal procedures didn’t sit well with the singer — whose ink includes a massive microphone on one hand and a flower on the other — and he knew the scars would still be there no matter what. But fate intervened with his musical career picked up steam just a few months later. Still, he remembers the call of duty and has a deep respect for those who serve, and figures sending them a small piece of home is always a worthy cause.

“Today I packed some peanut butter, a granola bar, some chocolate chip cookies and some jerky,” Brown says, explaining just what goes in each Purple Bag. “I also wrote a note and took a polaroid picture, so whichever soldier gets my bag will know exactly who sent it to them. If you imagine being in the military, they don’t get to eat what we get to eat everyday, so just imagine opening up that bag and getting all those goodies, and then seeing a picture and a thank you note. It would be pretty cool.”

Kane Brown got to pack his Purple Bag in person, helping inch the operation a little closer to their 1 Million-package goal. But fans who want to help can do ten times that much from the comfort of home.

The country star posted a video of his Purple Bag experience on Twitter, and for every like, retweet or comment another care package will be sent. But the best way to help is by visiting pack.crownroyal.com, where supporters can virtually pack up to 10 Purple Bag per person, and it’s all 100 percent free.

Just select four items and write a short note, and you’ll be doing your part to keep our American heroes’ spirits high, and remind them what they fight for. Especially in 2020, that’s an important mission.

“As crazy as this year is, I feel like it’s the perfect way to give back,” Brown says.