National Western Honors Wounded Warriors
DENVER (Jan. 9, 2011) --- The second performance of the 105th annual National Western Stock Show Rodeo was a special one for rodeo competitors, personnel and fans attending.
Sunday night’s rodeo honored Wounded Warriors through the USO, the unifying force for bringing America together to meet the needs of wounded warriors and their families through corporate, foundation and individual support.
The National Western supplied over 500 tickets to members of the Wounded Warriors, the Colorado National Guard and troops from Buckley Airforce Base. The Color Guard for the opening ceremonies was also provided by the National Guard.
“It’s an honor for us to be able to entertain these heroes,” said Marv Witt, Vice President of Operations for the National Western. “They truly represent the freedom, dedication and loyalty that make this such a great country. Those are also qualities that have made the National Western 105 years strong. These men and women have made huge sacrifices and this is a way for us to show a small token of appreciation.”
The Wounded Warriors in attendance are heroes from both the Warrior Transition Battalion and the 4th Brigade Combat Team 4th Infantry Division based at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. The United States military created the Warrior Transition Command in 2007 to assist with the overwhelming number of wounded service members pouring into military treatment facilities. Fort Carson is home to over 600 wounded warriros and their young families.
More information about the USO’s Wounded Warrior Program is available at www.uso.org/woundedwarriors. The National Western Stock Show Rodeo runs through Sunday, Jan. 23. Their website is www.nationalwestern.com.
