When Nash morning show Ty, Kelly & Chuck decided to partner with the USO on Nov. 1 for an initiative to send 100,000 thank you cards to overseas troops, the co-hosts had no idea the outpouring of support they would receive from the country music community, including stars Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Justin Moore, Cole Swindell, Lee Brice, Chase Rice and Old Dominion.
Today (Nov. 29), Garth Brooks stopped by the show to read the letter that helped Ty, Kelly & Chuck reach their goal of 100,000 thanks yous.
“First of all, [reading this card] is an honor I do not deserve, so thank you for what you’re doing,” said Garth. “I can’t think of anybody who deserves [these letters] more than our military men and women—past, present and future.”
Below, watch Garth get emotional as he reads the 100,000th letter.
And the letters are still coming in, thanks, in part, to the hard work of the morning show co-hosts, producer Glenn Johnson and digital coordinator Bryan Webb.
“Setting the goal of 100,000 was intimidating, but we felt like if we hadn’t pushed for so many, we’d only be lowering the ultimate result,” says co-host Ty Bentli. “The response has been incredible, and the stories from the soldiers have show how much these letters mean to them.”
Letters have come from as far away as North Pole, Alaska, and from organizations like the NFL’s New York Giants and Tennessee Titans. In addition, thousands of letters have poured in from elementary schools across the country.
“I love seeing all the cards come in from elementary schools,” says co-host Chuck Wicks. “Nothing is better than seeing a card made by a kid. Those are the sweetest thank yous.”
The country music community has show its support as well—in a big way.
“Having so many country stars—Tim, Faith, Blake, Keith and many more—come to the show to drop off personalized cards has been amazing,” added co-host Kelly Ford. “It just goes to show the love and support our listeners and the country music community have for our troops.”
