Luke Bryan Reigns At Spring Break Panama City

Grammy-Nominated Emerson Drive

Raises Money for College Scholarships & Parkinson’s Research

Nashville, TN (September 14, 2009) – Emerson Drive lead vocalist Brad Mates is on his way home today to Grande Prairie, AB for two special events, the Emerson Drive and Friends Charity Concert and the 3^rd Annual Brad Mates/E-Drive Celebrity Golf Tournament.  His bandmates join him for the events benefiting the Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) Recording Studio & Music Scholarship Program and the Parkinson’s Disease research program at theUniversity of Alberta.

“Emerson Drive began in Grande Prairie,” explains Mates.  “The make-up of the band has changed a little bit over the last few years but the idea of this band and the music we record comes from growing up in Grande Prairie.  We are proud to hold the Emerson Drive and Friends Concert every year to raise money for the music scholarship program and state-of-the-art studio housed on the GPRC campus.”

The two-day event begins on Tuesday, September 15^th, 2009 with the Emerson Drive and Friends Charity Concert, which will take place at the Grande Prairie Regional College Theatre.  All money raised from the concert benefits Grande Prairie Regional College.  The 3^rd Annual Brad Mates/E-Drive Celebrity Golf Tournament takes place at the beautiful Grande Prairie Golf & Country Club on the second event day, Wednesday, September 16, 2009.  Golfers play 18 holes of 5-member Texas Scramble beginning at 11 AM and each golf team includes a celebrity guest.  The golf tournament is followed by a banquet, which will be held at the Tee Centre at Evergreen Park this year.  All money raised from the golf tournament and banquet benefit The Brad Mates Drive for Research Endowment Fund at the University of Alberta.

“About seven years ago my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” states Mates.  “We started this golf tournament three years ago to help find a cure.  Over a million people in the states and over 100,000 people in Canada have Parkinson’s and I am hoping that we can help make a difference in their lives by raising money for research.”

The goal of the Brad Mates/E-Drive Celebrity Golf Tournament is to raise more than $500,000 for the Parkinson’s Disease Research Program at the University of Alberta Hospital.  In the first two years of the event the band has raised over $165,000 for Parkinson’s research so they are well on their way to reaching that half million dollar mark.

“As news of the golf tournament has spread out of Alberta I have had lots of friends, fans and peers ask how they could support our cause without making the trip up to Grande Prairie each year,” comments Mates.  “In an effort to include everyone and to achieve our $500,000 goal even faster we have added an online giving opportunity this year.  If everyone who reads this release or hears about the event logs onto EmersonDrive.com and donates even $5 we could reach our goal by the end of this year!”

Over a million people suffer from Parkinson's disease, which is more than the combined number of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig's disease.  Incidence of Parkinson's increases with age, but an estimated 4 percent of people with PD are diagnosed before the age of 50.  The cause is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are many treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage the symptoms.

Emerson Drive has been a part of the country music scene since they signed their first record deal with DreamWorks Records Nashville in 2001.  The band’s first two singles, “I Should Be Sleeping” and “Fall Into Me,” peaked in the Top 5 on the Billboard charts and quickly became fan favorites but it was the career-changing song “Moments” that gave the band their first #1 single in the USA.  Emerson Drive has been honored with awards and/or nominations from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, Canadian Country Music Association, CMT, Dove Awards, Grammy Awards, Inspirational Country Music Association, Juno Awards, Music Row Magazine and Campus Activities Magazine.  The band has toured with Toby Keith, Shania Twain and Big & Rich among other artists.

“This cause means the world to me,” shares Mates.  “So, thank you to everyone who has donated their time and/or money to help us find a cure.”