A great goodwill story from Tennessean.com:Henry Paul, singer from country group Blackhawk, was to present Vanderbilt Cancer Research Center with a check for $15,000 on Tuesday in honor of band mate Van Stephenson, who died of skin cancer in 2001.
"This was all predicated on my partner in Blackhawk, Van Stephenson's dying wish for me to do all I could to help find a cure for cancer and to try and keep the band going," Henry says. "It was a humble effort on my part. We have a very supportive and faithful fan base, and this money is raised all year long, $1 or $5 at a time, until the end of the year. Every year the goal is $15,000, and I think we've come close to donating in the neighborhood of $100,000 so far."
Throughout the year, Henry says he holds silent celebrity auctions, celebrity dinners and even sells seats on the stage at Blackhawk concerts in an effort to meet his $15,000 goal. Getting there this year, he says, was harder than most.
"I think it's a sincere and homespun charity effort that has an incredible personality and a great deal of sincerity," Henry says. "That's why I really love it, and it helps perpetuate Van's memory and helps those people over at the lab that work every day. It's very small in its scope, but very large in its impact. People are charmed by our effort and gravitate toward the idea. I'm extremely proud of it. We just do it ourselves."
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