Before Kenny Chesney even stepped on stage for his three-night engagement at Gillette Stadium last month, he chose to give back to the stat...
Before Kenny Chesney even stepped on stage for his three-night engagement at Gillette Stadium last month, he chose to give back to the state of Massachusetts.
According to Mass Live, the 56-year-old country musician gave a lot of money to charities all throughout the state before his first show at the football stadium in Foxborough on August 23. The total amount was more than $1 million.
The outlet confirmed that the total amount of the donation is unknown, but the "Get Along" singer gave money to nonprofits that help animals in need and provide music programs for young people. He also gave money to the Boston Medical Centre, the Foxborough Police Department, and the Foxborough Fire Department.
A representative for Chesney told Mass Live, "Kenny loves the people of who have been such a part of the Gillette experience over all these years."
This is his way of spreading the love and expressing thank you for everything that has made all these stadium events so special. He likes to discreetly give back and make other people's lives better. He doesn't want to talk about it; it's a gift for other people.
According to the site, which used public documents, Chesney gave $100,000 to both the police and fire departments. He also provided money to the Boston Medical Centre, the Worcester Animal Rescue League, the Animal Rescue League of Boston, and Music & Youth, an organisation that makes "accessible, sustainable, high-quality music programs so every young person can experience the magic of music," according to its website.
Gary Eichhorn, the CEO of Music & Youth, said that the donation was "a very nice surprise" and that he was "a big fan" of Chesney's music. Eichhorn told Mass Live that the country singer's donation will be used for training, general assistance, and updates to equipment. He also said that the foundation "always needs to upgrade the technology as music has gone more tech."
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Jackie Smith, the vice president of development for the Animal Rescue League of Boston, said that Chesney's donation to the nonprofit was also "a pretty lovely surprise." The money will be used to "help put pets and people together" and to fund an initiative "to be more proactive to help keep pets out of shelters."
Chesney had already contacted the Worcester Animal Rescue League in 2017 to help move dogs after hurricanes hit the U.S. Virgin Islands. Now, his latest donation will help with "significant need in Worcester right now," according to executive director Kristin Mullins.
She stated, "We will use this money to help get our animals healthy." She also noted that there has been a "significant uptick" in animals that need medical attention.
Chesney's most recent donation to the Boston Medical Centre, which he visited after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, would help patients with serious injuries who need money for physical rehabilitation or prosthetics, according to Mass Live.
Chesney played at Gillette on August 23, 24, and 25, which was the last show of his Sun Goes Down Tour this summer.
Megan Moroney, who joined Chesney on his most recent tour, told PEOPLE in April that she was "trying to absorb all of his knowledge because he obviously has so much" of it.
"I literally watch his whole show every night from the side stage to learn from him," she said. "I'm trying to remember everything he does on stage and how he interacts with his fans."
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