Members of Congress, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans' Affairs honored nearly 200 wounded service members on March 18th, 2009, at the 5th Annual Armed Forces Foundation (AFF) Congressional Gala. The event, hosted by Senator John McCain and Congressman C.W. Bill Young (among others), raised close to $1 million dollars and once again, our very own Project American Heroes was showcased as a featured guest. Prominently displayed in the front of the Atrium in the Ronald Reagan Building at the International Trade Center on Pennsylvania Ave, the '69 Rally Sport Camano's stunning custom paint scheme blended exquisitely with the red and black decor of the evening (this was, of course, no accident thanks to the planning by AFF president Patricia Driscoll and her dedicated staff). Fox New's Brian Kilmeade once again took the podium as the evening's emcee and kept things rolling along while Comedian Jeff Allen (www.jeffallencomedy.com) provided the entertainment.
At the Gala, Admiral Eric T. Olson was awarded the Bill and Beverly Young Humanitarian of the Year Award while Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was honored with the Sheldon Adelson Patriot Award for humanitarianism in industry for his and his company's dedication to the welfare of our men and women in uniform.
Other notable attendees included Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright, General George Casey (Chief of Staff of the United States Army), Admiral Gary Roughead (Chief of Naval Operations), General James Conway (Commandant of the Marine Corps), Secretary Michael Donley (Secretary of the Airforce), LTG Stanley McChrystal (Director of the Joint Staff), General Norton Schwartz (Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force), and UFC fighter Kenny Florian.
A very special thanks goes out to Dave Wilson and the professional transporters from Intercity Lines who once again made our trip possible by donating their time and efforts to move the Camaro around the country on its promotional tour. Please keep them in mind when you or anyone you know needs a professional to transport their classic or exotic car.
Next stop for Project American Heroes will be the Source Interlink offices in Tampa, Florida where it will be detailed and prepped for its sale at the Palm Beach Barrett-Jackson auction on Friday afternoon, April 10. I will forward further details on the auction as they become available.
Thanks for all of your generous support. Please continue to help us spread the word about this most worthwhile endeavor so that we can find that one special guy with the funds and the heart to purchase our beauty and provide much needed funds to support our dedicated servicemen.