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- *Pro*Bowler, former Tennessee Titan Kevin Carter will hosthis 9th *Annual Kevin Carter's "Waiting for Wishes" Celebrity Waiter's Dinner to benefitThe Kevin Carter FoundationandThe Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Middle Tennessee**. The event will be held at The Palm Restaurant on Tuesday, April 13. The celebrity dinner is an exclusive, VIP evening where Carter, NFL teammates, alumni and other professional athletes along with various celebrities take over The Palm as servers. The event is co-hosted by Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts and is expected to be another sell-out, with just a few seats left for purchase.
Sponsored by HCA/TriStar, Franklin American Mortgage and Nashville Lifestyles Magazine, the event continues to be one of the most unique celebrity events Nashville has to offer and is enjoyed by patrons and participants alike.
Sports Broadcaster/Analyst Cris Collinsworth (former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver) will join the cast of artists and athletes to include Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts, Keith Anderson, Sarah Buxton, Julie Roberts, and Chris Young, and Storme Warren of the Great American Country network will participate as well. Head Coach Jeff Fisher will join his current and former Tennessee Titans such as Keith Bulluck, Craig Hentrich, Jevon Kearse, Ken Amato, Rob Bironas, Donnie Nickey, Michael Roos, David Thornton, Javon Haye and Neil O'Donnell who are scheduled to participate. In addition, Carter has NFL players flying in from across the league to greet Nashville's patrons, such as Tony Richardson (New York Jets), Michael Alstott, Cato June, John Economos and John Gilmore (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Derrick Mason (Baltimore Ravens), Donnie Jones (St. Louis Rams), Robbie Gould and Hunter Hillenmeyer (Chicago Bears), Chester Pitts and Eric Winston (Texans), Sage Rosenfels (Vikings) and Mark Royales (ret. Jaguars). UFC fighters Jens Pulver, Ricco Rodriguez and Wes Sims will also attend, along with Olympic ice skating champion and analyst Scott Hamilton. Other celebrities to be added/subject to change.
"Like most professional athletes, my life has often been characterized by change—different teams, head coaches, and home cities," said Carter. "So it is with awe that I recognize that five years after my departure from the Tennessee Titans, during economically challenging times, Waiting for Wishes has continued to thrive, evolving each year and taking on a life of its own. The event's success can only be attributed to Nashvillians' unwavering sense of community, their spirit of giving, and their commitment to changing the circumstances of those in need. Shima, Zion and I feel blessed to be part of such a community. When the event first began in 2001, I thought only of how the event could help better the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions in the Middle Tennessee area. My vision was shortsighted. What I did not anticipate was that God would enrich my life through the friendships I have made and the children I have met."
The celebrities will serve guests, sign autographs and accept donations to indulge the lively crowd, like when Lonestarentertained the patrons as well as a special reading from "Gone with the Wind" by Kevin Carter & Keith Bulluck, all in the name of charity. The highlight of one year's dinner was when NFL great Jim McMahon showed up in a Hawaiian shirt and flip flops to greet the crowd.
The evening will begin with a VIP cocktail reception at 5:45 p.m., followed by The Palm's famous "Surf & Turf" dinner and a brief program hosted by Emmy Award-winner John Dwyer of WKRN-TV at 7 p.m. A premiere silent and live auction will feature exotic trips, autographed celebrity memorabilia and once in a lifetime experiences. It's a concept Carter brought to Nashville from his days in St. Louis, and the buzz around the unique event just keeps getting louder now in its ninth year. The Palm Restaurant is located at 140 Fifth Avenue South in downtown Nashville.
Kevin and Shima Carter created The Kevin Carter Foundation to enrich the lives of children focusing on youth and character development. Carter often quotes his father's saying, "To whom much is given, much is expected" and admits he tries to live by that today. The Kevin Carter Foundation will make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the primary beneficiary of "Waiting for Wishes" with the proceeds of the event. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
Reservations are $500 each. To purchase a reservation, call Paige Dixon at The Palm at 615-742-3193.
