PALM COAST, Fla. – Country music star Cooper Alan brought his signature energy and generosity to Palm Coast this past weekend, headlining a special concert in support of The Lori Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to helping military and first responder families.
Alan, who just celebrated his second wedding anniversary and announced that he and his wife are expecting their first child, took time out of his packed schedule to perform at the newly rebuilt amphitheater at Daytona State College. The concert came just days before the release of his new single on September 26.
Founded in memory of Lori Sullivan, a beloved member of the community who passed away from cancer in 2019, The Lori Fund has become a powerful force for good. Started by Lori’s husband Frank Petruno and a group of close friends, the organization has distributed over $1.25 million in the past six years. Notably, 100% of the funds raised go directly to carefully selected charitable initiatives—no one involved draws a salary.
“Tonight, we’re having a benefit concert to support our military, primarily Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Travis Mills Foundation, Home for the Wounded Warriors, Brave Aid, and Gratitude America,” said Petruno, who serves as the executive director of The Lori Fund.
“The Lori Fund has no expenses. Myself and our board members pay all the overhead. No one takes a penny out of it, so you will know when you make a donation to The Lori Fund, it goes directly to help a family member of a fallen soldier or the children of a fallen soldier,” he said.
Emceed by KIX Country 98.7 FM’s Lacy Martin and Kirk Keller, Vice President of Events and Marketing at Flagler Broadcasting, the concert kept the crowd energized while raising significant donations.
“We’re excited to be at the amphitheater, it’s such a great place for the community to come together, everybody to learn about The Lori Fund,” said Martin. “Frank is doing an incredible job bringing the community together, bringing awareness to veterans, wounded warriors, and raising money for military children. I just so honored to be a part of it.”
Among the attendees was Travis Mills, president and founder of the Travis Mills Foundation, who made the trip from Maine to show his gratitude. Mills, one of only five quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive, emphasized how instrumental The Lori Fund has been in supporting his mission to assist recalibrated veterans and their families.
“They’ve been with me for a few years now and we’re thankful to have them help with the mission,” said Mills.
“We help combat and service-connected injured veterans and their families adapt to physical injuries. People with amputations like myself, we show them life is possible no matter what. The truth is, it’s all about the family. It’s more about the spouse and the children seeing that other families are like theirs.”
Cooper Alan, a crowd favorite in the region, spent time before his set walking the campus and connecting with fans and event organizers.
“It’s a great cause and they’re great people. When you’re around it, it’s infectious. We did it a few years ago and it got rained out so we didn’t actually get to do the show. So we’re like, we’ve got to come back and do a real show.”
The concert benefit raised $100,000, and Petruno said The Lori Fund will distribute between $200-250,000 to the charities by the end of the year.
For more information about how you can support or donate to The Lori Fund, visit www.thelorifund.com.
