Newsletter - August 2011

VVMF News

 

Poker tourney to benefit Vietnam Education Center

Spurs Sports & Entertainment Chairman and CEO Peter Holt and Al Frakes, CEO/President SAF Studios & Event Co-Chairman recently announced The Education Center at the Wall, Celebrity-Charity, Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament (more info) coming to the AT&T Center on Sept. 23, 2011 to benefit The Education Center at The Wall. The poker tournament, to be hosted by Vince Van Patten of World Poker Tour, endeavors to honor and support the memories of our Veterans while providing an entertaining event venue of national and international notoriety.

Watch the Video Here

The Education Center at The Wall is a collaborative effort between the National Park Service and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF). Construction for The Center is planned for 2012, and will be located in Washington D.C at the National Mall site adjacent to the Vietnam Memorial.

The Education Center at The Wall will be a place to educate and celebrate the values exhibited by America service members, including Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Service, Honor, Integrity and Courage. The Education Center at the Wall will endeavor to honor and put a face with every name and tell the stories of those who have ‘served and sacrificed’.

To learn more about the tournament, click here.

To help support the Education Center at The Wall, click here.

 

Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial Shares 600 Photos for The Education Center

Last week VVMF President and Founder, Jan Scruggs, traveled to Jackson for a special event to announce a new partnership with the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Hundreds of veterans and supporters turned out for the event held on Friday, July 22nd. The Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial was one of the first organizations to recognize the importance of displaying the faces of their fallen brothers and since 1995 have been collecting photographs as part of their memorial in Oceans Springs, MS. They have collected photos for 600 of the 637 names from Mississippi listed on The Wall.

To view Jan’s interview with WLBT Channel 3, click here.
The group committed to share these photos with VVMF to ensure that Mississippi’s hometown heroes will be seen and honored in the Education Center to be built on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Jan Scruggs did a three day media blitz in Jackson interviewing with numerous radio, TV, and print outlets.

 

Chicago Cubs partner with VVMF to honor Chicagoland Vietnam Veterans

On June 14, the Chicago Cubs partnered with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to host a pre-game ceremony on Wrigley Field honoring Chicagoland’s Vietnam Veterans. Before the National Anthem was sung, nearly 100 Vietnam Veterans lined the baseline on the field. The Ricketts Family, owners of the Chicago Cubs, presented each veteran with a commemorative coin to thank them for their service to our country in the Vietnam War. Rookie player Tony Campana signed autographs and posed for photos.

Video Courtesy of MLB.com
Outside of the stadium, The Walls That Heals mobile Education Center was on display for Veterans, their families, and Cubs fans to view. Nearly 40,000 fans attended the game that night and gave a standing ovation and roaring applause to Welcome Home these Chicagoland Vietnam Veterans.

 

Stories From The Road – The Wall That Heals stop in Orange, CA

Present someone a challenge and see what happens. The goal for The Wall That Heals stop in Orange, CA was to gather the largest number of motorcycles for the escort of The Wall That Heals. JR Nichols of STS Graphics took on this challenge with pride and the official count given by law enforcement was 625, beating the record from last year of 450. The front 28 bikes led the way with the American and POW/MIA flags flowing in the wind as we traveled down the highway.  

Watch the Motorcycle Escort

As The Wall That Heals arrived in Orange, the streets were lined with people holding flags and waving, the fire department was standing in front of their hook and ladder truck saluting, it appeared that the whole downtown on the traffic circle had come out to welcome The Wall That Heals. On Sunday, Father’s Day, a steady flow of visitors streamed in all day long – over 35,000 people visited The Wall That Heals while it was in Orange. That evening, a small closing ceremony was held and The Wall That Heals was packed back into the trailer ready to hit the road and move on to the next location. To see the 2011 schedule for The Wall That Heals, visit www.vvmf.org/twthtour

The Education Center at The Wall is a collaborative effort between the National Park Service and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF). Construction for The Center is planned for 2012, and will be located in Washington D.C at the National Mall site adjacent to the Vietnam Memorial.

 

The Education Center at The Wall will be a place to educate and celebrate the values exhibited by America service members, including Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Service, Honor, Integrity and Courage. The Education Center at the Wall will endeavor to honor and put a face with every name and tell the stories of those who have ‘served and sacrificed’.

The Education Center at The Wall is a collaborative effort between the National Park Service and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF). Construction for The Center is planned for 2012, and will be located in Washington D.C at the National Mall site adjacent to the Vietnam Memorial.

 

The Education Center at The Wall will be a place to educate and celebrate the values exhibited by America service members, including Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Service, Honor, Integrity and Courage. The Education Center at the Wall will endeavor to honor and put a face with every name and tell the stories of those who have ‘served and sacrificed’.

 

VVMF Welcomes New Vice President of Development

Kraig Butrum recently joined VVMF at the new Vice President of Development. “Kraig is a great addition to the team we have built here. He will be the development team’s quarterback, focusing on the fundraising for the Education Center at The Wall,” said Dan Reese, VVMF Chief Operating and Financial Officer. Kraig has over 25 years of major gift campaign experience. Serving a wide variety of organizations, he has served as vice president, campaign director, director of development and consultant to non-profit organizations throughout the United States. Kraig graduated from Chapman University (Orange, CA) and received his Master’s degree cum laude from the University of Southern California. 

He has CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) ranking from the Association of Fund Raising Professionals and has served as a member of AFP Board chapters and National Philanthropy Day Organizing Committees. A fifth-generation Southern Californian, Kraig’s three brothers-in-law served in Vietnam.    

 

VVMF listed on Great NonProfits

“Great NonProfits” has developed a page for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to encourage the public to volunteer and donate to our organization. The site also allows visitors to leave a review of VVMF and rank our organization. Check out the site and leave a review of your own!

http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/profile2/vietnam-veterans-memorial-fund-inc

In Case You Missed It:

Spurs, Grizzlies owners share passion for Vietnam project – USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2011-06-28-spurs-grizzlies-owners-vietnam_n.htm

Putting faces to names on wall latest Vietnam memorial project – Clarion Ledger (MS)

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20110723/NEWS/107230329/Putting-faces-names-wall-latest-Vietnam-memorial-project?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Home|s

Pictures of Vietnam casualties sought for new display – Hawaii News Now

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/14850739/pictures-of-vietnam-casualities-sought-for-new-display

CCSU seeking photos of Conn. servicemen who were killed in Vietnam (VIDEO) – The Bristol Press (CT)

http://www.bristolpress.com/articles/2011/07/27/news/doc4e2f782d56306723816826.txt

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    The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund takes our stewardship of your donations seriously. The programs we fund are designed to help us achieve our mission of preserving the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War.