Photo credit: Zach Catanzareti
You probably heard of Darius Rucker back when he was singing lead for Hootie and the Blowfish. Since going out on his own, he’s explored other styles of music, finally settling on country music in 2008. What hasn’t is Rucker’s commitment to helping others; it’s impactful and he’s been at it for an impressively long time.
For example, this year, his annual Darius & Friends benefit concert hit its 16th year (!) raising over $5.1 million for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He’s also kept the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation going strong, which was established all the way back in 2000. Since then, Rucker has been one of the driving forces behind its support for South Carolina nonprofits that support arts education, mental health, and veteran services.
Rucker’s mother had a long career as a nurse in the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), which is why he co-chaired a capital campaign that generated $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. It’s one of the lengthiest humanitarian records on the list and makes Rucker a perfect example of the Worthy 100.
