Cole Swindell Donating Toledo Merch Sales to Tornado Relief

Cole Swindell is launching his 2020 Down to Earth Tour on Thursday (March 5), and in light of the devastating, tornado-producing storms that recently swept through Nashville and Middle Tennessee, the singer is committing to help affected communities get back on their feet.

On social media, the singer announced plans to donate 100% of the proceeds from his merchandise sales at his upcoming Toledo, Ohio tour stop. He shared the news alongside a photograph of demolished Nashville venue the Basement East, expressing his shock and heartbreak over the damage incurred by the tornado.

"Can't believe what has happened in my backyard and all over middle TN," Swindell wrote in the caption of his post. "My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who was affected by last night's storm. I will be donating all the proceeds from my march sales from my show in Toledo, Ohio on Thursday."

Swindell is one of a number of artists pitching in to help the state recover after the deadly storm, which killed upwards of 20 people across the state. Chris Young donated $50,000 to the Music City Inc. Foundation in order to provide assistance for those affected by the tornado, while Mitchell Tenpenny is helming a benefit concert set to take place at Dierks Bentley's downtown Nashville Whiskey Row on Monday (March 9.)

The tornado touched down in Nashville just after 1AM on Tuesday, causing its worst damages in the Germantown and East Nashville neighborhoods of the city. Among the destroyed buildings is beloved music hotspot the Basement East, and more than 40 additional buildings have collapsed, according to the Tennesseean. Still other structures have sustained everything from major to minor damage.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has since reported over 20 deaths as a result of the storm, two of which took place in East Nashville. The vast majority of fatalities occurred in Putnam County, with the death toll climbing to 18 on Tuesday night, CNN reports. Wilson and Benton counties also reported fatalities during the storm.

Go here for a list of tornado relief efforts in Nashville and a variety of ways to contribute throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

More From the 2020 Nashville Tornado