Singer/Songwriter/Composer/Producer David
Rice announces a tribute to the families of soldiers serving overseas. Rice has
produced a compelling video to his song “Christmas (For the Ones You Leave
Behind” and will be debuting the video on YouTube on Thanksgiving Day. The video
includes a montage of photographs of military families as well as footage of Rice
playing.

In 2001, shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Rice was asked to write an original Christmas song for Mandy
Moore to perform at TNT's Christmas In Washington, a televised concert for the President and First
Lady. The result was a piece called "Christmas (For The Ones You Leave Behind)" which the pair
performed together to a visibly touched audience. Though initially written with 9/11 survivors in mind,
the song has since become increasingly relevant and even more meaningful as the Iraq and Afghanistan
Wars continue, leaving hundreds of thousands of family members without their loved ones for the
holidays.

When asked about the inspiration for creating the video, Rice replied, “I sat with a woman and her three-
year-old son on a flight earlier this year and learned they were on there way to meet their soldier in
Germany, on his two week leave from Iraq. This soldier hadn't seen his wife and son in an entire year. It
was a moment of realization for me - my heart broke - I have a son the same age and I can’t even
imagine being separated like that. It was the first time I stopped to really think about what troops and
their families have to endure.”

Inspired by this encounter and at the urging of his family Rice has revived the song this year, composing
a haunting and poignant new recording and creating a video with images of military families and their
personal messages to their soldiers. “I’ve been incredibly moved and humbled by the emails and pictures
I’ve received. Some of these kids have never spent Christmas with their Dad and tragically some never
will. My hope is that this song and video will help cause ordinary people this holiday season to pause
between shopping trips and realize that these are real human beings - sons, daughters, wives, mothers,
fathers, and neighbors - who are suffering.”

100% of the proceeds from this sale will be given to Fisher House, an organization providing support for families of wounded servicemen and servicewomen.