The Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama kicked off the holiday season with its annual civic luncheon at Fort Whiting Armory in Mobile, once again bringing in country music singer-songwriter and bestselling author Jimmy Wayne as the event’s keynote speaker.
Wayne’s return marked the second consecutive year he traveled to Mobile for the event, after a previous appearance drew nearly 200 attendees and raised roughly $35,000 for the Salvation Army’s Center for Women and Children. Organizers say his willingness to come back reflects the strong connection he built with the coastal Alabama audience during his first visit.
Now based in Nashville, Wayne’s own story lends weight to his advocacy for the Salvation Army’s mission. He spent much of his childhood cycling through foster care, including stretches of homelessness, and has spoken about receiving assistance from the Salvation Army in Texas during some of his most difficult years. That background has shaped both his music and his writing career.
His latest book, released in October, landed on the New York Times Best Sellers list in the Celebrities category the same month as his Mobile appearance. It follows an earlier bestseller that inspired a television movie centered on the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, which was set to air on cable just days after the Mobile luncheon.
Maj. Mark Brown, area commander for the Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama, said the organization worked hard to bring Wayne back after seeing how his story resonated with last year’s crowd, calling the timing especially fitting given the release of his second book and the approaching debut of the related film.
Tickets to the luncheon were priced at $50 each, with table sponsorships also available for local businesses looking to support the cause. The event ran from noon to 1 p.m., with doors opening an hour earlier for guests to mingle before the program began.
The luncheon is one of several fundraising events the Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama holds each year to support its programs for women, children and families in the Mobile area, and organizers say the visibility that comes with a nationally known speaker helps draw new donors and volunteers to the cause each holiday season.