Villager of Distinction: Trace Adkins

The Villager of Distinction accolade goes to a person or group that has done something remarkable or special for those with severe allergies. The latest recipient of this accolade is Trace Adkins, the renowned country music star. Let me explain ...

Tonight my wife and I watched the finale of Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice. We have watched the Apprentice occasionally during its run. At first I have to admit that the celebrity version of the show seemed to be ill-conceived, yet for some reason I was drawn in.

The basic premise was that celebrities would play the game in the normal fashion, but instead of getting 'hired' by Mr. Trump, they would win $250,000 for the charity of their choice.

Over the course of the game I was struck by the way Trace Adkins carried himself. The man of few words seldom spoke but when he did it was often very insightful and noteworthy.

It was only in the last few episodes that I realized that Trace was supporting FAAN!

Trace has a six year old daughter with severe food allergies. In the finale Trace told Mr. Trump that he was playing for the "3 million fathers" who send their children to school living in the fear that they may not come home. He spoke with a passion that was seldom seen from him during the game. Being one of those fathers I was deeply moved by the emotion behind his words.

Trace is receiving this accolade for two reasons. As you can see from the enclosed Google Trends chart, there was a significant spike in Google searches for 'food allergy' after the March 6 episode of the Apprentice. It was in that episode where Trace was project manager and was able to talk about about FAAN.

I am also acknowledging Trace for the way in which he carried himself as an ambassador for the allergy community. He played hard but always with integrity, and he never lost sight of his motivation for playing in the first place ... his six year old daughter who suffers from severe food allergies. Very touching.

Well done Trace!

Please note: You can support Trace and FAAN by purchasing "You're Gonna Miss This - Single" at iTunes ... all proceeds go to FAAN and the charity single is only on sale for two weeks!