Country Goes Huntin’ Concert Coming April 9

The dogwoods are starting to bloom, and the turkeys are starting to gobble! This can only mean one thing… some of Nashville’s top artists and the country’s biggest personalities in the outdoor world are packing their hunting gear, fueling up their tour buses, putting new tapes in their filming cameras and heading to the area of southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama on the banks of the mighty Chattahoochee River for the seventh-annual nonprofit event Country Goes Huntin’ Celebrity Hunt and Benefit Concert (CGH).

This year’s CGH event will take place April 6-9. The benefit concert will be April 9 in Dothan, Ala. at the Dothan Civic Center.

To help Country Goes Huntin’ raise money for various charities and organizations, it has an online auction. Several items up for auction this year include autographed items from former Cincinnati Reds baseball player Pete Rose (right). Also pictured are Country Goes Huntin’ founders, country-music artist Rhett Akins (left) and Sam Klement with Spectrum Outdoors.

CGH was founded by childhood friends country-artist Rhett Akins and owner of Spectrum Outdoors Sam Klement. Their concept is simple. Each spring they invite their friends from each respected area of expertise, turkey hunt for three days and put on an incredible, one-of-a-kind, all-acoustic jam fest in Dothan. All the proceeds raised during this event are put in a huge pot and divided amongst the celebrities’ charities of choice. To date CGH has raised approximately $450,000 in products and cash donations.

Some of last year’s CGH donations were given to GONetwork’s SEEDS program, a group that dedicates its time and money to promote youth hunting and fishing. Funds have also been spent on the Enterprise, Ala. tornado victims and the Wheelin’ Sportsman program.

Some big names in the country music and hunting industries continue to come back and participate in CGH.

On the country side, just to name a few, Gary Levox of Rascal Flats, Troy Gentry, Double Barrel Daryle Singletary, Craig Morgan, Tracy Lawrence, Aaron Tippin, Tracy Byrd, Jeff Bates, Cowboy Troy, Teddy Gentry of the band Alabama, Blake Shelton, Andy Griggs, Jamey Johnson, Bobby Pinson, Josh Gracin and Trent Wilmon have all participated in some Georgia and Alabama turkey hunting and sung at the benefit concert.

From the world of hunting, Eddie Salter, Matt Morrett, Ricky Joe Bishop, Jeff Banks, Tim Knight, Jay and Tammi Gregory, Michael Waddell, David Blanton, Lee and Tiffany Lakosky, Walter Parrot, Billy and Hank Parker, Shane Berry, Mike Wolfe, T-Bone, Jason Housley, Alan Treadwell and Jerry Martin have all taken part. From this impressive line-up of CGH alumni, expect to see many of these guys back again this year, along with a few new faces.

To get involved with CGH, be a sponsor or just enjoy the April 9 concert.

You can also bid on some fantastic items on the CGH website at <www.countrygoeshuntin.com>. Items to bid on include a golden fiddle donated by Charlie Daniels, a Larry The Cable Guy script and sleeveless shirt, a Pete Rose, one-of-a-kind autographed baseball and jersey, a CGH Realtree guitar autographed by all 2008 CGH celebrities.

This year’s CGH event is scheduled to be broadcast on the Internet, compliments of XON TV.

Special thanks to the following sponsors who help make this event bigger than ever: Realtree, Guthrie’s Chicken, Bass Pro Shops, Bad Boy Buggies, Lacrosse Footwear, Budweiser, 95.5 F.M. and Hunters Specialties.

We hope to see all our GON readers at the April 9 benefit concert at the Dothan Civic Center.

For information on this year’s CGH event, go to <www.countrygoeshuntin.com> or call (334) 677-1171.