Eric Church Donates $10,000 to 10-Year-Old Girl’s School Jog-a-Thon
Eric Church made a very special memory for a 10-year-old fan in California. The country superstar surprised young Makenna Wallace by donating $10,000 to her elementary school's jog-a-thon.
Church played a gig at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday, Sept. 28, and he was midway through his set when he noticed Wallace, who had made a green sign asking him if he would sponsor her in her school's fundraiser.
According to the Union-Democrat, Church addressed Wallace directly from the stage, saying, “I will sponsor you for your jog-a-thon,” which received a massive round of applause and cheers from the audience.
“I like your shades by the way," Church added in reference to Wallace's sunglasses, which were similar in style to his signature aviator shades that he always wears when he performs.
Wallace attends Soulsbyville Elementary School, and she had already raised $735 on Friday (Sept. 27) by running 15 laps, which totaled about three miles. She then used a napkin to draft what she wanted her sign to say before making it out of materials from a local store.
“As her parents, we were like, ‘Go for it,’ but it was only kind of an idea,” her mother, Megan Wallace, tells the Union-Democrat. “When it happened, it was unbelievable. We were in shock."
The family gave their information to one of Church's employees, who e-mailed the following Monday (Sept. 30) to get the information for the fundraiser. They then received a second email stating that Church and his wife, Katherine, would be mailing a check for $10,000, and it should be credited to Makenna's total.
The school planned to unveil the donation by presenting an oversized check during a school assembly.
“If I could say anything to him I would say, thank you, you’re my hero, stuff like that,” Makenna Wallace tells the Union-Democrat. “I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is really happening? I was really shaky. I was happy, nervous, it was awesome.”
Church's concert in San Francisco was part of his ongoing 2019 Double Down Tour in support of his current album, Desperate Man. The singer recently scored his eighth No. 1 hit on Billboard's Country Airplay chart with "Some of It," the album's second single.
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