Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards Dinner raises more than $500,000 for veterans

The annual Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards Dinner returned to Nashville on Sept. 10 and raised more than $500,000 for The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project. The fundraiser honored the Horse Soldiers, the 5th Special Forces Group and veterans advocates while spotlighting support for veteran care, reintegration and cancer treatment access.

Why it matters: - The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project raised more than $500,000 to support U.S. veterans and their families. - The money helps fund programs that assist veterans with healthcare, rehabilitation, mental health, employment and reintegration into civilian life. - The event also highlighted the group's expanding support for veterans affected by cancer and other illnesses tied to military service exposures.

What happened: - The Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards Dinner returned to City Winery Nashville on Thursday, Sept. 10. - The annual fundraiser benefited The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project, the nonprofit founded in 2014 by Charlie Daniels and David Corlew. - The evening honored the Horse Soldiers and the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). - The program recognized five individuals for service to veterans and their communities. - The event came on the eve of the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11.

The details: - The fundraiser brought in more than $500,000 through sponsorships, donations, and live and silent auctions. - David Corlew opened the evening’s tribute to the Horse Soldiers and the 5th Special Forces Group. - Joel Pruitt addressed attendees during the salute. - Lt. General John F. Mulholland (Ret.) received a special 5th Special Forces Group watch before speaking to the audience. - The program included a Presentation of the Colors, the national anthem by Donnie Reis, an invocation by Carolyn Corlew and hosting by Tom Gross. - A Missing Man Table honored service members who never returned home. - Robert Koons received the Charlie Daniels Service Award. - James Doyle received a Patriot Award. - Tim and Kate Cooper of the Cooper Alan Foundation were also presented with a Patriot Award. - Scott Hunt of Hunt Brothers Pizza received the Giving Heart Award. - The evening included a tribute to the late Bernard “Bernie” Kerik. - TCDJHP also highlighted its longstanding relationship with Vanderbilt University Medical Center. - In 2019, TCDJHP provided funding that helped enable the first CAR-T cancer treatment performed at a VA hospital. - Live auction items included handwritten lyrics to “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and a limited-edition Fire on the Mountain 45th Anniversary guitar signed by Daniels and numbered 23 of 45. - Another live auction item featured an American flag flown aboard an MQ-1C ER Gray Eagle over Africa on Dec. 13, 2025, with a 160th Airborne challenge coin and certificate of authenticity. - A Bernie Kerik tribute package included a guitar signed by Kerik, Kash Patel, Trace Adkins and Mark “Oz” Geist at the 2024 Patriot Awards Dinner. - The same package included a custom recreation of the CASE V-42 Stiletto forged with steel recovered from the World Trade Center. - The tribute piece used 110 layers of Damascus steel to represent the 110 floors of the Twin Towers. - The package also included a bottle of Horse Soldier Bourbon and a signed copy of Horse Soldiers. - A 5th Special Forces Group rifle was another featured live auction item. - The silent auction included military, music, sports and entertainment memorabilia, plus travel, dining, jewelry and other donated packages. - Sponsors for the evening included Lipman Brothers, Team Construction and Industrial Repair Services.

Between the lines: - The event used Veterans Day-style pageantry and Sept. 11 remembrance to reinforce a message of service and sacrifice. - The Horse Soldiers tribute tied the fundraiser to one of the best-known early responses to the post-9/11 war effort. - The Vanderbilt Cancer Center connection shows the nonprofit is moving beyond traditional veteran support and into treatment access for service-related illnesses. - The auction inventory suggests the fundraiser leans on high-value military and music memorabilia to convert attendance into direct program dollars.

What's next: - TCDJHP said it will continue partnering with vetted organizations that serve veterans and their families. - The nonprofit will keep supporting healthcare, education, employment and mental health efforts through its network of programs. - The organization’s work with Vanderbilt’s cancer center and clinical trials program is expected to continue as part of its broader veteran care mission. - More information is available at the organization’s website.