Country Superstars Rascal Flatts to Headline 'Music for Champions' Benefit

February 28, 2012

ORLANDO, Fla.-- The first ever Music for Champions, a concert benefiting Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and the T.J. Martell Foundation will take place on Monday, March 19th at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida. This music event will benefit the two charities and serve as a kick off to the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard, which will be held March 19-25 at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

Music for Champions is a high-profile, festive event that will feature a magical evening of performances by Rascal Flatts and other artists. The concert will bring celebrities together with business, medical, music and sports industry executives to raise awareness and funds for innovative cancer research. Sponsors and VIP guests will have the opportunity to attend a private pre-concert reception in the Lennon Room and the outdoor patio upstairs beginning at 6pm and receive premium seating. The evening will also feature a live auction of unique, one- of-a-kind items.

The concert will start at 7:30pm, with doors opening to general ticket holders at 6:30pm. Tickets will range from $50 to $125 on Ticketmaster, and sponsorships are available beginning at $1,200.

Founded in 1975, the T. J. Martell Foundation is the music industry's largest foundation that funds innovative medical research focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS. The Foundation supports creative early-stage research projects aimed at developing more effective clinical treatments for patients, which otherwise might not be funded. The Foundation began with a promise music industry executive Tony Martell made to his son, T.J. who was diagnosed with leukemia in 1973. T.J. asked his father to raise a million dollars so no one else would have to experience suffering as he did, his father agreed. Two years later, T.J. died and Tony honored his promise to his beloved son. A fundraising event in T.J.'s memory raised $50,000 towards that promise. With the help of friends in the music industry, Tony Martell founded the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS research in 1975. Since then, the Foundation has raised over $250 million. In 2012 the Foundation will fund research projects at 11 institutions around the country including Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

Concert and ticket information is available at www.MusicForChampions.com.