Photo By Sgt. William Battle | Outlaw 21 plays some of the original songs at the Viceroy Performing Arts Center...... read more read more
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OAK GROVE, Ky. - Hundreds of members of the military community from Oak Grove, Clarksville, Hopkinsville and Fort Campbell turned out for the Kangaroo Express’ Salute Our Troops Family Fun Night, July 26, at Valor Hall in Oak Grove, KY. Active duty, reserve and guard service members were able to enjoy free food, music and more.
“It’s just a really exciting, fun kind of thank you back to the military community,” said Kari Burgess, USO Nashville and USO Fort Campbell center manager.
The USO is one of several organizations supported by Kangaroo Express’ Salute Our Troops. Last year the Fort Campbell USO received $30,000 from Salute Our Troops to use to help support the Fort Campbell community.
“It really helps support a lot of our programs and services kind of generically, said Burgess. “We have a budget we put together every year and we know we are going to do X number of programs and then this money comes in kind of on the back end and helps us exceed that, whether it is providing another free family meal or ‘Healthy Kids, Healthy Families' … or any of the programs we don’t necessarily have a sponsor to help cover, Salute Our Troops helps us cover that.”
Among those attending the event were the Jones family. Spc. Perry Jones, a welder with 801st Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, at Fort Campbell, Ky., came to the event with his wife and children.
“It’s great,” said Samantha, Perry’s wife as their 15-month-old Hailie checked out one of the Humvees on display from the 372nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment from Nashvile, Tenn. “They’ve gotten tattoos, watched some cars over at the USO truck, and played some games.”
Among those helping to entertain troops and their families at the event was the band Outlaw 21. Two of the band members served in the U.S. Army; drummer Dale Beatty lost both his legs below the knee when the Humvee he was riding in hit two anti-tank mines while he was deployed to Iraq in 2004 as a field artilleryman with the North Carolina National Guard. The band sees taking part in events like this a way to give back to the community.
“I was impacted by one of the recipient charities, the Fisher House,” said Beatty. “I was hurt in 2004 in Iraq and stayed in the Fisher House with my wife and two young sons for a year. I really know what, especially with the Fisher House, what it brings to a military family when you get hurt like I did. So for me, it’s a personal reason that I’m involved, just to give back to the Fisher House because it was so good to me and my family … All around, I’m all in to support everything that our military is doing and this event.”
Kangaroo Express holds Family Fun Nights for service members at various locations across the U.S. To find out more about Salute Our Troops, visit www.kesalute.com.
| Date Taken: | 07.26.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.30.2013 17:47 |
| Story ID: | 111083 |
| Location: | OAK GROVE, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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