Kangaroo Express Goes Country for Salute Our Troops

CARY, N.C. -- Kangaroo Express has enlisted the help of country music artist Jamie Tate for the third annual Salute Our Troops fundraising campaign.

Tate will join the campaign during its concert events, kicking off in Oak Grove, Ky., on July 26, continuing to Sumter, S.C., on Aug. 9 and Fayetteville, N.C., on Aug. 22. The appearances are part of Kangaroo Express' Salute Our Troops Family Fun Nights. She will also be a celebrity musician guest judge for the Salute Our Troops Talent Show in Sanford, N.C., on Aug. 16, according to a news release.

Salute Our Troops is running through Labor Day. Donations from the campaign will support the USO, the Fisher House Foundation and eight state-based military support organizations. Since its inaugural year in 2011, the Salute Our Troops campaign has raised $5.7 million.

"I'm so excited to team up with Kangaroo Express for the tour," Tate said. "It's an honor to be a representative for such an incredible company and cause. Performing for our troops has always been very important to me."

Kangaroo Express is also sponsoring Tate's performance at the Coke Zero 400, Daytona NASCAR race in Daytona, Fla., on July 6.

In addition, the convenience store brand is sponsoring 50,000 new digital download cards of her single, "I'll Give My All," to be distributed during the Salute Our Troops tour. Tate's music video, featuring the 82nd All-American Airborne chorus, can be seen above. 

The 50,000 download sales came from Tate's unique sponsorship campaign, in which corporate or private sponsors can purchase "I'll Give My All" download cards. The cards are then given to current and former service members free of charge, and can be distributed directly by the sponsors or via military care packages. Each card contains a printed code that grants the cardholder access to Tate's official website where the song can be downloaded for free.

Kangaroo Express is the primary operating banner of Cary, N.C.-based The Pantry Inc., which has more than 1,500 convenience stores in 13 states.