Anthony Kearns to Perform for ThanksUSA at Bipartisan Benefit Concert on Capitol Hill

Anthony Kearns of The Irish Tenors will headline a rare bipartisan musical reception ("Six Month's Countdown to St. Patrick's Day") from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. tonight - Tuesday, September 21 - for ThanksUSA, a nonpartisan charitable effort providing scholarships to military families.

Patrick Healy, an internationally acclaimed accompanist, will join Kearns at this evening's ticketed event for U.S. Senators, Members of Congress, and senior staff from the Hill and administration.

Tonight's special guests also include former U.S. Congresswoman, Cabinet Secretary and Irish Ambassador Margaret Heckler; Lieutenant General, United States Army (Retired) Gary D. Speer; Mrs. Sheila Casey, wife of General George Casey, Jr., Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army; and Fr. John Baptist Bashobora (Uganda). Bashobora, who will say a brief prayer for U.S. troops, oversees an orphanage of 5,000 children in Uganda.

"We're pleased to host this event in honor of our troops and to emphasize the importance of the gift of education for their families. We'd like to thank our sponsors and guests, and in particular, tenor Anthony Kearns, and his accompanist, Patrick Healy," said B. Robert Okun, president and CEO of ThanksUSA.

"I'm honored to support ThanksUSA and its noble mission as we help people come together over music and friendship and help endow military families with the most precious gift of all, an education," said Kearns.

Last week, Mr. Kearns and The Irish Tenors performed at the Liberty Awards Ceremony in Philadelphia to honor former British Prime Minister Tony Blair for his efforts in Northern Ireland and in the Middle East. Kearns arrives in the Washington, D.C. area following the September 16 launch of his U.S./Canada fall tour in Nova Scotia.

"It was a tremendous recognition of Anthony's talent and influence on the world stage to be chosen to perform last week at the Blair-Clinton peace awards ceremony. I can't express how excited we are to have him join us tonight," said Okun.

"Music brings people together. This is a rare moment when we can come together over Irish spirits and music by Ireland's finest Tenor," said Kirsten Fedewa, Mr. Kearns' publicist.

ThanksUSA was founded in 2005 by two young sisters, Rachel (10) and Kelsi (8) Okun of McLean, Virginia to mobilize Americans of all ages to "thank" the men and women of the United States armed forces. The organization has provided nearly 2,000 college, technical and vocational school scholarships for the children and spouses of American troops.

Mr. Kearns' appearance takes place after brief reunion tour with the original Irish Tenors - considered to be one of Ireland's greatest musical exports, second only to U2. Kearns, who was voted "Best Irish Tenor" in 2010 by the Irish Music Association, was recently named honorary president of the [Mario] Lanza Legend, an organization dedicated to preserving the legend of famed Tenor Mario Lanza throughout the world.

Mr. Kearns' latest solo projects include an inspiring PBS Special called "Halleluiah Broadway" (which began airing in August), singing as Romeo in Opera Naples's production of Romeo & Juliet: Then and Now, and recent interviews and performances on Fox News' Huckabee and Fox and Friends earlier this year. In May, he performed "Amazing Grace" during the National Moment of Remembrance in Washington, D.C. and headlined a choral festival for military families at the Kennedy Center.

ThanksUSA is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit foundation incorporated in Washington, D.C. Tonight's event has the generous support of the Microsoft, Visa, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Tunnell Consulting, National Association of Manufacturers, Downey/McGrath, Walmart, AnyBill, IConstituent, National Association of Broadcasters, Kirsten Fedewa & Associates, L.L.C., and others.

For more information, please visit: www.thanksusa.org.

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