Photo Source: John Partipilo/The Tennessean

When Jimmy Wayne arrived at the Nashville airport yesterday from Phoenix, he thought the only person who would be greeting him would be his drummer who was there to pick him up. Instead, The Tennessean says about 60 people were there to surprise Jimmy and half of them were foster kids.

“When I turned the corner and saw everybody … I was like, ‘Holy (cow),’ “ Jimmy said. “I didn’t expect this. … I’ve been gone seven months walking, and to come home to this is the best feeling.”

They cheered and held up homemade signs when they saw Jimmy near the baggage claim. He was in a wheelchair because of his broken heel. He says the first thing he would do, other than laundry, would be to make a cup of coffee and look at his thermostat.

“I had just turned it up a little bit, and I was all warm and stirring a cup of coffee,” Jimmy said. “It made me feel guilty, (that) I was able to do that. But on top of that I hadn’t done anything to give back that year. I think today I will probably go home and look at the thermostat again, turn it down, say thanks, and stir my coffee.”

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Jimmy Wayne finished his 1,700 mile walk from Nashville to Phoenix yesterday. When he arrived, he addressed the large crowd of supporters at the HomeBase Youth Services center. Jimmy’s “Meet Me Halfway” campaign was meant to raise awareness for homeless teens and children who age-out of the foster care system. During the last five miles of the walk, Jimmy broke his foot.

We are so PROUD of Jimmy Wayne for completing this journey in the name of children everywhere. Thank you Jimmy!!

[photo source]

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Jimmy Wayne will finish his walk from Nashville to Pheonix tomorrow, even if it breaks his foot…wait…that’s already happened. Jimmy took to his twitter to tell fans and followers about the pain he was in on Friday.

I have a dang Kankle today. My right foot is swollen so big, my achilles tendon isn’t showing (& i had to spell check achilles lol..)

I’m in the RV getting an ice sock made from trash bags! My foot is so numb from the pain, I can’t feel the ice! OMGsh

Resting on a city bus bench in Scottsdale AZ! The pain is unbearable! The fever is back as well! Is this an omen from the devil? Geez

WalkD as far as I could walk 2day. LayD on the concrete;N so pain; they picked me up; I’ll walk the last 5miles N2 Phoenix in the am. Thx

Going to a (doctor) podiatrists. I can’t believe this! 5 miles from the finish line & I can’t hardly walk! This is unreal!

Dr. Allan is opening his office on his day off. Arizona State Trooper Officer Lam helped facilitate this special appointment

Dr. Brian Allen, DPM 2919 S.Ellsworth RD Suite 117 Mesa, AZ 85212 determined I broke my right foot from walking down hill

Dr. Allan gave me a big boot & powerful meds! Should be a fun show tonite for real lol! Heading to finish the 5 miles

I’m literally on my last leg! Lol GIVE ME THEM MEDS!!!!!!!

According to TheBoot.com, Jimmy will finish his walk into HomeBase Youth Services in Phoenix, where fans will have the chance to finish the last two miles with him…walk or hobble.

“This will slow me down, but I am going to finish this walk,” he insists, adding with a smile, “I am literally on the last leg of this trek!”

For those of you under a rock, Jimmy is walking in the name of homeless teens and foster kids who age out of the system. To learn more about his Meet Me Halfway campaign, click here.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

Jimmy Wayne is getting closer and closer to his destination of Phoenix to raise awareness about foster kids who age out of the system. Now, he’s just under 100 miles from Phoenix.  And it seems he is feeling the 1600 miles or so he’s walked since Nashville.

In these final days of the walk, there’s an RV that’s meeting up with him. Jimmy was really aching last night when he got in. Here are his words:

“oh, gosh, my feet, my body and everything, it’s sore.”

Jimmy Wayne will arrive in Mesa, Arizona on Saturday and give a free concert celebrating the walk at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill. Sunday morning, Jimmy will cross the finish line at HomeBase Youth Services in Phoenix. People are invited to walk the last half mile with him. Details are at http://projectmmh.org.

Country Girl wants you to be a Tattle Tale! Have you been to a country concert lately? Run into a country artist while out on the town? We want to hear all about your country music news and entertainment. Email me at countrygirl@countrymusictattletale.com

There’s a great story in the Phoenix New Times about Jimmy Wayne’s inadvertent foray into identity theft — of an Arizona Corporate Commission candidate!

Jimmy, who’s finishing his walk from Nashville to Phoenix to raise awareness of teen homelessness and Project Meet Me Halfway, took a little break at an Arizona karaoke bar last week, going on stage with a secret identity.

“Ok every1, I’m letting you N on a secret: I’m going to enter a Karaoke contest tonite in Show Low AZ (undercover as Berry Wong)!stay tuned: Barry Wong,” he tweeted to his fans.

Jimmy donned a pink tank top and sang “Neon Moon” for the unsuspecting crowd. News of the joke made it to local politician Barry Wong, who said he’s cool with the country star stealing his identity.

“I’m flattered he would associate my name with his famous country music star name and reputation, even if in jest,” Barry Wong told the New Times.

Click Here to Read the article

Find out more about Jimmy Wayne’s Project Meet Me Halfway

Follow Jimmy Wayne on Twitter

Vicky Dobbin is a writer, blogger and country music lover in Falls Church, Virginia. Follower her at http://twitter.com/LMyCountryMusic and read her blog at www.LoveMyCountryMusic.com

Jimmy Wayne gives a message to FosterClub’s member, May 4, 2010 from FosterClub on Vimeo.

May is National Foster Care Month, FosterClub, the national network for young people in foster care, has named Jimmy Wayne as it’s National Celebrity Spokesperson.

“We’re very proud to have Jimmy Wayne represent our organization and the half million young people in foster care,” says FosterClub Director Celeste Bodner. “Millions have been touched by his songs, and I know that many more will be inspired by his personal story and commitment to improving life for foster youth.”

Jimmy Wayne is currently in the midst of walking from Nashville to Pheonix to raise awareness for homeless teens who age out of the foster care system with his Meet Me Halfway Campaign.

“From my past, I know first hand what young people in foster care are facing. Young people in this country should not be faced with that kind of situation – especially kids who we’ve stepped in to care for when their families couldn’t,” Wayne said. “If the bit of celebrity I have can help me raise awareness of this situation –that there are kids and young people out there who need our help, then I feel like I have accomplished my goal.”

Support young people in foster care with a donation to FosterClub — Text the word “foster” to 85944 to make a $10 donation to benefit young people in foster care (charged to your cell phone bill). Visit www.fosterclub.org for more information.

Follow Jimmy Wayne in his effort — Follow Jimmy as he walks on his Meet Me Halfway campaign and learn more about the issues facing young people in foster care at http://meetmehalfway.jimmywayne.com

Get involved in National Foster Care Month — Each May, National Foster Care Month provides an opportunity to shine a light on the plight of hundreds of thousands of children and youth in the foster care system. Learn more at www.fostercaremonth.org.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

When Jimmy Wayne reaches Amarillo, TX tomorrow, he will have been walking for 93 days and covered approximately 977 miles, marking the halfway point between his walk from Nashville to Pheonix. His goal is to raise awareness of homeless teens in America.

On New Year’s Day, Jimmy left the parking lot of Monroe Harding Group Home in Nashville kicking off Meet Me Halfway. The Meet Me Halfway campaign hopes to raise money and awareness for homeless teens and foster children who ‘age out’ of the system and without any sort of support system, oftentimes find themselves homeless. Jimmy spent most of his own childhood in and out of foster and group homes, and at one time he was also homeless.

The halfway point will be marked be a celebration at the Hastings Record Store in Amarillo, where Wayne will share his experiences on the road, and the reasons he undertook the walk.

“It’s been a rewarding and gratifying journey so far,” Wayne said of his walk on behalf of homeless teens. “The people I have met along the back roads of America, as well as those in the bigger cities I have walked though have all been hospitable, and curios about why I’m walking. I’ve been able to talk to them about the difficulties faced by homeless teens and foster kids. Not everyone realizes that once a child in foster care hits the age of 18, they are essentially aged out of the system. And without a family or support group of any kind, many of them end up homeless. Telling the story gives people information they need to get involved and help these kids.”

Following his April 3rd stop in Amarillo, Jimmy will continue on to Phoenix, where HomeBase Youth Services is located. HomeBase is an Arizona-based, non-profit organization founded in 1991 to address the growing needs of at-risk and homeless youth age 21 and younger.

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Jimmy Wayne does a little crowd surfing in Iowa last week…Surfs Up!

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com

Soon, you can show your support for Jimmy Wayne and his walk to raise awareness and money for homeless children and teens by sporting a t-shirt.  The shirt is being created by a nurse who walked with Jimmy on his first day. Cynthia Sparks of Jabez, Kentucky, says Wayne’s walk triggered memories of homeless children in an emergency room where she once worked. So, she wanted to help his cause. There’s no word yet what the T-shirt looks like. But, it’ll be available on Wayne’s Web site, http://meetmehalfway.jimmywayne.com/ in a few weeks.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com