Country star Darius Rucker raises over $2 million for St. Jude

NASHVILLE (FOX 5 DC) - Country star Darius Rucker raised another $400,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital this week, bringing his total fundraising for the hospital to more than $2 million.

The 10th annual "Darius & Friends" benefit concert led by the Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Monday also featured fellow country stars including Luke Bryan and Sheryl Crow. The event has opened the CMA fest in Nashville for years. 

Rucker started fundraising for the children's hospital in Tennessee after visiting it a decade ago.

“I was struck on that first visit by how St. Jude not only cares for their patients, but also their patients’ families,” Rucker said in a statement. “They believe that a financial burden is the last thing a family should face when their focus needs to be on helping a kid get better, and St. Jude makes sure that their patients never pay a dime. It’s an honor for us to be able to help them continue such an important mission.”