Categories: News

Russell and Kailey Dickerson Honored with Angels Among Us Award

Russell and Kailey Dickerson Receive Prestigious Award

During the 36th annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids event, Russell Dickerson and his wife, Kailey, were presented with the Randy Owen Angels Among Us Award. This accolade celebrates country music artists who have shown outstanding commitment to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

A Tribute from Randy Owen

The award was given by Randy Owen, the founder of the Country Cares program, which has been active since 1989. Under his leadership, the country music industry has raised hundreds of millions of dollars, ensuring that families at St. Jude never bear the costs for treatment, travel, housing, or food.

Honoring Past Recipients

Previous winners of this esteemed recognition include notable artists like Keith Urban, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Scotty McCreery, Lady A, Darius Rucker, Jake Owen, and Brad Paisley.

Reflections on the Award

Prior to the award presentation, the Dickersons shared their thoughts with Country Now about the significance of receiving this honor as a couple. Russell expressed, “It’s such a tremendous privilege to receive this, especially as parents. Meeting the families and understanding their struggles makes this recognition even more meaningful. St. Jude’s continuous support for these families is remarkable, and we aim to use our influence to promote their mission.”

Kailey’s Perspective

Kailey added, “Visiting St. Jude changes you. It’s an honor to collaborate with them, and it was a delightful surprise to be recognized in this way. We are committed to supporting St. Jude indefinitely.”

Highlights from the Ceremony

When it was time for the official presentation, Randy Owen honored the couple, who then delivered a heartfelt speech lasting over seven minutes. They reflected on their first visit to St. Jude back in 2017 when Russell was on tour with Thomas Rhett. Kailey emphasized, “This moment is not about us; it’s about the kids.” She expressed gratitude towards Randy for laying the groundwork for such initiatives and prayed for the families and the research being conducted at St. Jude to aid children worldwide.

Russell Shares Personal Insights

Russell spoke about how his family’s history is intertwined with supporting St. Jude. He humorously noted, “I’m not the biggest star in country music, nor the largest donor to St. Jude. We only recently paid off our student loans!” He believes their selection for this award stems from their willingness to say ‘yes’ to helping when it comes to St. Jude.

A Call to Action

For Russell, the response to anything related to St. Jude is always affirmative. He challenged the audience of country radio programmers and media members, asking, “When you hear the words, St. Jude, what do we say?” The crowd responded with a powerful “YES!” encouraging a collective effort to support St. Jude in its mission to combat childhood cancer and other critical illnesses.