Mitchell Tenpenny’s career is important to him, but so is giving back. It’s why he started his 10Penny Fund, which provides emotional support to those affected by cancer, including family and loved ones. Sadly, it’s something that Tenpenny knows firsthand why it’s so necessary.

“Unfortunately, cancer’s been in my family for quite some time,” Tenpenny tells Everything Nash. “I lost my father to it. My mother’s in remission, which is great. My aunt’s battling, and just friends. It’s here. And I learned through watching friends and family fight this disease that there were just not a lot of mental health [resources], when it comes to preparing yourself to battle this disease, at least through my dad’s cancer journey. And so, when I had the opportunity to start and make my own charity, something that I felt like we could actually have an impact on, I wanted to focus on the mental health side.”

Tenpenny explains that taking care of people’s mental health is just as important as medical health when it comes to fighting cancer.

“It hates stress… Just in life in general, but especially with that disease, mental health is very important,” Tenpenny explains.

 

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Mitchell Tenpenny’s Grand Ole Opry Show

Earlier this week, Tenpenny performed at the Grand Ole Opry, to raise money for his 10Penny Fund. In addition, Tenpenny also announced his partnership with Cancer Support Community (CSC), donating an incredible $110,000 to CSC while at the Grand Ole Opry.

“We’re going to actually help people,” Tenpenny says. “It’s finally time. We partnered with CSC, because we found the right partner to do the job.”

For the new father, partnering with CSC was an easy decision, once he realized how closely their goals actually aligned.

“We found that they were already doing what our vision was, and it’s going to be so much stronger to do it together,” Tenpenny explains. “And I just can’t believe we’re finally getting to do it. My thing was, if we’re going to be asking people for money every year, I need to know that it’s going to the right place, that it’s going to actually help people, because I’m not going to ask people, especially in this day and time, to spend their hard-earned money and to give it up if it’s going to be wasted. So we took our time, we found the right partnership, and here we go. We’re gonna save some lives.”

Tenpenny was joined at the Grand Ole Opry by Jo Dee Messina, Chris Young, Lee Brice, Devin Dawson, Ernest, Sierra Hull, and Jackie Lee for the special evening, with $5 of every ticket sold going directly to his 10Penny Fund.

“Some of these people on this stage have been there for me personally so many times and supported either this charity or myself,” Tenpenny shares. “And so, I wanted that to be shown to the crowd.”

Mitchell Tenpenny Shares His Biggest Goal With His 10Penny Fund

Tenpenny is passionate about his 10Penny Fund, which is why one of his biggest goals is to make more people aware of it, and the resources that are available.

“I just want them to know about it,” Tenpenny says. “I think it’s more about raising awareness. And as I get older and life happens, mental health is so important. And so just in general, whether you have cancer or not, I think focusing on mental health, therapy, whatever you need to get through your day, people are there to listen. Having a great community – I keep using that word because it’s important – we need it more than ever these days.

“My specific thing is because my dad and my mom have gone through it, I wanted to help cancer patients,” he adds. “But mental health is extremely important, and we need to make sure that everybody knows it’s okay to ask for help.”

Donate to 10Penny Fund here.