Easterseals’ Our Serve: Military Appreciation Day, a VIP experience at the Western & Southern Open, brought together more than 400 guests and raised more than $205,000 for local veterans.
The keynote speaker, Army Col. (Ret.) Danny R. McKnight, shared his experience in Somalia, which was the basis for the book and movie “Black Hawk Down.”
Seven portraits were displayed from “The Unknown Soldier.” The collection of large-scale black-and-white photographs recently was acquired by the Library of Congress for its permanent collection as visual documentation of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The event supports Easterseals programs, including veteran services that provide one-on-one care for emergency, education and employment needs. The Tri-State has 1,300 homeless veterans, and nearly 5,000 local veterans are unemployed.
Since 2014, Easterseals Veteran Services has delivered benefits worth $9.4 million to local veterans. It is staffed totally by veterans who understand the challenges faced when transitioning to civilian life.
Click on a thumbnail below to view photo gallery from the event.
Photos by Mikki Schaffner Photography
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- Kelli Fitzgerald, Eric Fitzgerald, U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup, Kay Geiger and Jack Geiger
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- Sgt. John Smith and Col. Danny R. McKnight
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- Emcee Jon Sanchez
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- Col. Danny R. McKnight and Cadet Alex Mount
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- In less than 10 minutes, artist Mark Thesken created a painting that brought in $3,600.
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- Warren Weber, Pam Weber, Angel Spanos, Sophia Spanos and Litsa Spanos
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- Landen Summary, Pam Green, Stephen Mullin and Chris Mullin
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