Tracy Lawrence set not one but two new records with his annual Mission:Possible Turkey Fry and Benefit Concert. The event, held on Tuesday, November 22, began with Lawrence, along with 250 volunteers, frying a record-breaking 1200 turkeys, providing an astonishing 9600 meals for those in need. Later that night, Lawrence was joined by Gary Allan, Travis Denning, Alexandra Kay and Halfway to Hazard for a concert at the Wildhorse Saloon, setting another record by raising $250,000 for the Nashville Rescue Mission.

“Yesterday was an incredible day from start to finish,” Lawrence says of the event. “To step back and think about how this started as just a few friends and a dozen fryers in a parking lot — to what it is now — is truly incredible. There are so many people that go into this event and I’m just so grateful we can all come together and support this cause.”

Lawrence previously said that his Mission:Possible Turkey Fry and Benefit Concert was an important to him because of his deep desire to support the Nashville Rescue Mission.

“I just feel such a great connection with the Rescue Mission,” Lawrence told Everything Nash. “I think they do such great work in the community. There are so many folks that are less fortunate than we are. I think everybody should take the time to give back just a little bit more. They have an opportunity for people to get their GED, to go through drug rehabilitation, alcohol rehabilitation, just so many ways for them to get back on track when they fall on hard times. And even if they just need to go overnight. There are a lot of resources here for people to use. I just think it’s something that we should really appreciate here.”

When Lawrence started Mission:Possible Turkey Fry and Benefit Concert, he could have never anticipated that the event would, to-date, provide 73,000 meals to the homeless across Middle Tennessee and raise over $850,000 for Nashville Rescue Mission.

“Years ago, when we started this thing, it was done just as a grassroots awareness campaign,” the 54-year-old said. “I had no intentions of this thing growing into what it was. It was not my vision. I just saw people in need standing on the street corners that needed help, and I saw the distaste that people had for it. And I thought there might be a way that we can help change the public perception a little bit, and make people realize that, that there are a lot of different reasons that people fall on homelessness.”

Some of the volunteers helping fry the turkeys included Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty, Nashville Mayor John Cooper, Phil Vassar, Deana Carter, Clint Black and Lee Greenwood, along with several of the concert performers. More information on the Mission:Possible Turkey Fry and Benefit Concert is available here. Find all of Lawrence’s music and upcoming shows by visiting his website.

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