'It's a special time:' Cole Swindell, others sing for a cause at Rock Fore! Dough concert
There are all kinds of traditions when it comes to Masters Week, but Tuesday brought probably the loudest one.
The 20th anniversary of the Drive for Show, Rock Fore! Dough Concert was held at Evans Towne Center Park. Hundreds of families filled the park and for a night of clear skies, live music, food trucks and fun.
One of the bigger acts was platinum-recording country artist Randy Houser. Augusta-area residents most recently saw Houser in the baseball biopic "The Hill," which was shot in the area. The independent film was very well-received, becoming a top watch on Netflix and winning "Best Family Feature Film" at the 26th annual Family Film and TV Awards.
"It's pretty cool. I was just riding around today, seeing some of the places we shot and things like that, so it's a special time for me," he said. "I think the movie turned out great and everybody in Augusta was so supportive."
Masters 2024 weather forecast: Severe storms, 40 mph wind gusts possible Thursday
The concert served as a fundraiser for First Tee of Augusta, a youth organization educating and enriching local children through the sport of golf. Grammy-nominated country artist Cole Swindell, who headlined this year's concert, expressed how this combines a few different loves in his life.
"Me being a huge golf fan, just to be around the area for such a big week is amazing," Swindell said. "But I also get to sing some songs tonight for a great cause."
Another popular country artist who hit the Lady A stage was Tyler Reeve, who co-wrote Brett Young's diamond-recording single "In Case You Didn't Know." Reeve mirrored Swindell's thoughts.
"We're all avid golfers," Reeve said. "First Tee is a great charity and we're glad to be here raising money for that."
Other entertainers included local rock band Black Dawg and mixes from DJ Rock. First Tee of Augusta Executive Director Jill Brown could not be more thrilled with the public's turnout and the artists for giving their time and talent for this cause.
"We're just really happy that the community's embraced us. It's our 20th year, and so anything that makes it to 20 years, we're very excited about," Brown said. "I don't know how to say thank you enough."
The concert has raised more than $1.7 million for First Tee over the years. Brown explained how they hope to continue and grow their programming. While First Tee services children in Richmond, Columbia, Burke and McDuffie counties, their main course is closer for Richmond and Columbia counties' kids and they want to be able to provide better access to golf for the outside counties in the near future.
For more information, go to firstteeaugusta.org.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Drive for Show, Rock Fore! Dough Concert 2024 benefits First Tee
