CMA fest proceeds going to flood relief

NASHVILLE, May 6 (UPI) -- The Country Music Association says it'll donate half the proceeds of its CMA Music Festival to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee for flood relief.

This is in addition to CMA's already established annual donation of 50 percent of the net proceeds to Metro Nashville Public Schools for music education through the Keep the Music Playing program.

In total, 100 percent of the net proceeds of the event will be given to benefit Nashville's public school students and Middle Tennessee families in need.

The CMA described its music festival as "Nashville's signature music event, drawing 56,000 people from the region as well as every state in the nation and visitors from 26 countries around the globe, while bringing in more than $22 million in direct visitor spending to the local economy."

The festival is to run June 10-13 and will feature performances by Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, Alan Jackson and Kellie Pickler.

"This year with all the downtown businesses, as well as our tourism industry, suffering huge losses due to flood damage, it is vitally important to the Nashville business community that CMA Music Festival continues as planned," Steve Moore, CMA chairman of the board, said in a statement Thursday. "CMA is proud to step up and help our area by donating half of the CMA Music Festival's net proceeds to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to help its flood relief efforts while we continue our important commitment to children and music education."

"CMA has always been a great supporter of Music City through the Association's Keep the Music Playing initiative," added Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. "This added contribution to aid in flood recovery efforts will be incredibly helpful and demonstrates the great partnership that exists between the City of Nashville, CMA Music Festival, and the Country Music industry."