There was a whole lotta country going on in Vero Beach last Friday night with the return of Jake Owen to his Vero Beach High School alma mater, where he entertained a sellout crowd of fans at the 10th Annual Jake Owen Foundation Benefit Concert.
Prior to the start of the concert, VIPs were treated to a reception hosted by Dale Sorensen Real Estate, where they enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, beverages and an auction while mingling with the performers. Auctioneer Wesley Davis got the crowd energized with a little friendly bidding on items that included an autographed golf cart, Meet & Greets with Owen, and autographed guitars.
The auction and ticket sales racked up quite a few dollars, which will be added to the $1.25 million that has been raised to date to help local youth organizations.
Eighty percent of the funds raised stay in Indian River County and benefit such nonprofits as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County, Hibiscus Children’s Center and the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation. On a national level, Owen’s foundation supports the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for children battling cancer and other childhood diseases.
“This is a huge community effort and I’m just a little piece of it,” said Owen of the foundation’s accomplishments over the past 10 years.
“One of the reasons I got my start doing this was that I had family that taught me great values and morals and how to work hard,” said Owen, reflecting on his rise to stardom. He added that growing up in a town like Vero Beach had played a major role in making him the person he is today.
The atmosphere Friday night in the VBHS Performing Arts Center was that of a casual family gathering, but there wasn’t anything laid back about the quality of talent on the stage. The star power of Owen and his band was rounded out with a few of Owen’s Nashville friends.
Vero’s own singer/songwriter Scotty Emerick, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter James Slater and Lady Antebellum vocalist Charles Kelley sang crowd favorites like “I Love This Bar,” “In My Daughters Eyes” and “Need You Now.” The foursome also gave a nod to songs by country greats Glen Campbell and Johnny Cash.
Owen brought a little jingle into the evening, sharing an original holiday song, “Christmas Spirits.” And, since the foundation focuses on children, it was only fitting that Owen’s daughter Pearl and her friend JD Sorensen would take the stage. The pair stole the show as they led the crowd with lots of zeal in singing one of their favorite holiday songs.
In words taken from the first song of Owen’s to ever make it on the radio, concert-goers gave the entire two-hour show a great big “Yee Haw!”
After Friday night’s foot stompin’ concert, the performer teed up bright and early Saturday morning as a participant in the Hale Groves Indian River Grapefruit Pro-Am Invitational at the Vero Beach Country Club. Bringing in a little more star power, Owens played in the tournament with Nascar champion Kevin Harvick on Saturday and PGA golfer Jason Day on Sunday.
