Country songwriters and Care Partners share inspiring stories at fall fundraiser
Each of us carries an untold story that inspires the work we do, the way we express ourselves, how we move through the world.
“For me, it was my grandfather. I have had two grandparents that have had some form of dementia, but I was closest to my grandfather,” says Jarod Carter, president of Family Home Care of Central Florida. “I saw, firsthand, how hard it was to navigate the behavioral changes, the mood changes. We didn’t have an ADRC that we could call.”
“A lot of people don’t know what’s out there, so you suffer in silence,” he adds. “But it’s a disease that’s impossible to handle on your own.”
That experience galvanized Carter’s career and his community involvement, ultimately leading him to become Vice Chair on ADRC’s Executive Board.
“What my business has allowed me to do is to help people to deal with exactly what we suffered through,” he says. “The reason I chose to volunteer my time with ADRC was because I wanted to do good.”
Carter followed that impulse and launched ADRC’s Songs & Stories Fall Fundraiser, which celebrates these unshared narratives we hold, but with a twist. The fundraiser highlights the largely unknown anecdotes that accompany popular country songs, as well as reports from community Care Partners.
“We’ll have songs performed by songwriters, and then we’ll get to hear the stories that go behind those songs,” Carter says. “But we will also hear the stories of those who have been impacted by the good that is done through ADRC.”
Songwriters Chase McGill and Hunter Phelps are set to perform and chat with attendees about their music.
McGill was a songwriter on Jordan Davis’ “Next Thing You Know,” which won the Academy of Country Music’s 2023 Song of the Year award, and he was among the writers who penned Cole Swindell’s “Break Up In the End,” which was nominated for the 2018 award in the same category.
He was nominated for the Academy of Country Music’s Songwriter of the Year award in 2018, 2022, and 2023.
“His songs have been recorded by a wide range of artists including Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Little Big Town, Cole Swindell, Kane Brown, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Morgan Wallen, and Justin Moore,” his Universal Music Publishing Group biography reads.
Phelps has also been recognized by the Academy of Country Music. In 2022, he too was nominated for Songwriter of the Year. He’d also had a hand in writing HARDY’s song “Wait in the Truck,” featuring Lainey Wilson, which was nominated Song of 2022.
“In 2014, he signed a joint publishing deal with Tape Room Music and Warner Chappell Music,” his Tape Room Music biography reads. “His songwriting career has skyrocketed, landing him seven number-one singles, including Dustin Lynch and Mackenzie Porter’s six-week number one, ‘Thinking ‘Bout You.’”
He was also behind such hits as Chris Lane’s “I Don’t Know About You,” Jake Owen’s “Best Thing Since Backroads,” and Dylan Scott’s “New Truck.”
Chase Rice and Florida Georgia Line can thank Phelps for “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” while Jameson Rodgers and Luke Combs could tip their hats for “Cold Beer Calling My Name.”
“Chase and Hunter will be singing the songs they wrote,” says Carter, who has been organizing the annual event since its inception three years ago. “They’ll tell us the story behind how the song came about.”
The first two fundraisers featured Jeffrey Steele, who wrote Rascal Flatt’s “My Wish,” and quipped that he was “the most famous guy you’ve never heard of.”
And while the premise remains the same this year— attendees are still encouraged to wear cowboy boots to the dressy-casual intimate evening — the event has been “completely revamped.”
“We’ve got a new venue, upgraded menu, and new entertainment,” Carter says. “Our two entertainers will be on the stage simultaneously. They’re going to be sitting there with their guitars, telling stories, cracking jokes, and ragging on each other, because they’re friends.”
Carter adds, “They’ll play newer songs that are more current. We’ve got an entirely different feel for this event.”
Songs & Stories will take place in the DeVos Family Room at the Dr. Phillips Center. Guests arrive for a cocktail reception that includes an open bar. Awards will be presented, and a fundraising game will commence before dinner.
A live auction follows, and the night culminates in the entertainment.
Attendees will also hear from a Care Partner who will discuss ADRC’s impact in her life.
“The reality is that there’s so many people out there that we wouldn’t be able to reach without fundraisers like this,” Carter says. “This fundraiser is what allows us to help different families.”
Songs & Stories will begin at 6:00 p.m. Nov. 14.
Anyone who is interested in attending should call ADRC at 407-436-7750. We have tickets now available.