Zac Brown Band to Headline Gatlinburg Fire Benefit in Gatlinburg This Weekend

Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg, Tenn. - Several East Tennessee businesses and musical artists with ties to the area are planning a weekend of concerts and other events to benefit victims of the wildfires that swept through Gatlinburg recently. Fourteen people were killed and 175 were injured in the fires, which burned 17,000 acres and damaged or destroyed more than 2,400 homes, cabins, churches and businesses.

On Saturday, December 17, Zac Brown Band will headline The Mountain Tough Benefit, hosted by Ole Smoky Moonshine, at 705 Parkway in Gatlinburg.

Other artists scheduled to perform include Jim Lauderdale, Rodney Crowell, Sam Bush, Derek ST. Holmes, Jason D. Williams, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, Randy Kohrs, Sarah Potenza, Mo Pitney and Chelle Rose and others.

The Saturday event will begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time, and will be broadcast live on 100,000-watt WMOT/Roots Radio from Middle Tennessee State University as well as a network of statewide and regional radio stations. Music City Roots will stream the event live worldwide as well. All proceeds will go to the Sevier County Community Fund. Information is available at www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=274.

On Sunday, December 18, Pepper Palace, the world's leading hot sauce company, will present the Smokies Strong Relief Benefit from 2:00-6:00 p.m. at Hard Rock Café in Pigeon Forge, in association with Hard Rock Café, the Tennessee Smokies baseball team, Margaritaville, Nightlife Productions and Gatlinburg.com.

"This event is to receive donations for our community and their families, but most importantly to give the children a very Merry Christmas," said Will C-Nuñez, Executive Director of Marketing for Pepper Palace. "Items to donate can be gift cards, clothing for children or adults and supplies, like toothpaste, toilet paper, or canned foods."

Raffle tickets for special prizes will be given with monetary donations. All proceeds will go to the Gatlinburg Relief Fund, which was established by the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce Foundation t o directly benefit families impacted by the wildfires.

Children attending the Sunday event will have an opportunity to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, courtesy of Margaritaville, and can play in a bounce house, which will be provided by the Tennessee Smokies. Adults, meanwhile, can enjoy live music by country singer Kaitlyn Baker and by Stephen Goff & The Royals. The show will be emceed by DJ Nightlife 305.

Baker, who is based in Southwest Virginia, has done two previous shows in collaboration with Pepper Palace, which produces Kaitlyn Baker's BURN Sauce, a hot sauce. Her ballad "To Pieces" was recently released to country radio and is being played by a growing number of stations.

"Like everyone else, I was heartbroken to see the devastation in the Gatlinburg area and to learn about the loss of life," Baker said. "When Pepper Palace asked if I wanted to be involved in this fundraiser, I did not even give it a second thought. Hopefully, we can bring a bit of joy to some of the families who have suffered so much."

Stephen Goff, who has been a favorite at venues throughout the Southeast for several years, has performed with the likes of .38 Special, Ricky Skaggs, The Kentucky Headhunters, Marty Stuart, Ralph Stanley, Goose Creek Symphony, Black Oak Arkansas and Chris Stapleton.

"This area has been my home for ten years, but all through my childhood it was a favorite vacation spot," Goff said. "This community has allowed me to make a living doing what I love. A lot close friends lost everything, so it's pretty important to give back."

The Smokies Strong Relief Benefit will take place at Hard Rock Café, 2050 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on Sunday, December 18, from 2:00-6:00 p.m. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. To donate online, visit app.mobilecause.com/f/150t/n or text PFG 91999. Donations may also be dropped off at any SmartBank location and at Hard Rock Café Pigeon Forge. Checks may be made out to Gatlinburg Relief Fund and mailed to P.O. Box 1910, Pigeon Forge, TN 37868-1910.

More information is available at www.facebook.com/PepperPalace1HotShop.

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