Free concert event honoring veterans this Saturday
Oct. 18—A free concert, dinner, and showcase of veterans' services is planned for this Saturday, at the Caddo Creek Event Venue & Music Hall in Greenville.
Dubbed "The Real Cost of Freedom," the event is hosted by Hunt County-area veterans support organization Twin Rotors Mission and has been funded through sponsorships and donations.
"As we desire for our veteran community to participate without adding to a financial burden, we have gone to great efforts to fund this event through sponsorships," said Twin Rotors founder and president Paula Renee Morgan.
The event will feature music by Adam C. Martin and Jeremy Chestnutt of Florida-based southern rock band Blackbird Anthem.
Martin (the lead singer, acoustic guitarist and songwriter) is a U.S. Army combat veteran, and Chestnutt (the band's lead guitarist and co-songwriter) is the husband of a U.S. Coast Guard veteran.
Together with their band, they have placed a priority on regularly sharing their brand of southern-fried music at veterans events. Their music has also earned them multiple Josie Independent Music Awards, and three of their songs were used in 2019 veteran-directed film "Tango Down."
In addition to performing, Martin will share stories of his experiences with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and how music and equine therapy helped him cope.
Also on the topic of equine therapy, Twin Rotors has been working together with the Longhorn Arena & Event Center and the Mental Health Clinic of Greenville on the development of an equine-assisted psychotherapy program and partnership. Saturday's event will also include an outdoor presentation of the program's "equine immersion experience."
The partnership's actual equine therapy sessions are typically held the first and third Monday of every month at the Longhorn Arena in Greenville, and are conducted by Dr. Ruth Whitely of the mental health clinic and U.S. Navy/Army veteran Steve Neal.
The parts of the event planned to take place before the concert are as follows:
Outdoor Activities from 1 to 3:30 p.m.
—Equine Immersion Experience
—Meet Purple Heart recipient Jessica Lynch
—Visit vendors, including tattoo artist Stevie Garza, Love on a Leash dog-assisted therapy, Texas Veterans Land Board, the Hunt County chapter of Disabled American Veterans, and more.
—Photo sessions for veterans and their friends and families
Vietnam Veteran Special Presentation 4 to 5 p.m.
—In this part of the event, Vietnam era veterans and families will be recognized.
—The ceremony will also include a photo shoot of individuals and the whole group of Vietnam vets and their families.
Barbecue Dinner and Silent Auction Begin at 5 p.m.
—Dinner reservations need to be made in advance at https://bit.ly/3S9nhgQ, and dinner tickets need to be brought to the event. There is a limit of 240 seats for the dinner.
—Silent auction items include various goodie baskets, a barbecue grill, jewelry and more.
After dinner starts, the main program will begin at 5:30 p.m., with music following at 6 p.m.
After the concert, there will be a live auction starting at 7:30 p.m., in which memorabilia from Blackbird Anthem, as well as items such as plane tickets and custom, patriotically decorated cowboy boots will be included.
Whether or not attendees plan on eating dinner at the event, Twin Rotors asks that everyone pre-register (which is free) at https://bit.ly/3S9nhgQ
