NC-based company raises $2.5M to Salute Our Troops
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
CARY, N.C. – A North Carolina based company raised millions of dollars this summer to “Salute Our Troops.”
From Memorial Day until Labor Day, Kangaroo Express asked customers to donate money for the U.S.O., Wounded Warrior Project, and state-based military support organizations. The company raised $2.5 million, more than double its goal.
Thursday afternoon, the company held a finale celebration to honor military men and woman and recognize local stores for their fundraising efforts.
The celebration included Army skydivers, military repellers and a restored 1952 Willys CJ-3 military Jeep.
“Two-and-a-half million dollars is a lot of money and it can do a lot to for veterans and service members,” said Army Staff Sergeant Tommy Rieman.
Rieman, a Charlotte resident, was awarded the Silver Star for risking his life to help protect his fellow soldiers during two ambushes in Iraq. He was shot twice during the incident and also suffered nearly a dozen shrapnel wounds.
“They did that for us,” he added. “It shows they care. That's the spirit of America.”
“Sometimes you feel like you're forgotten and it feels really good to know there's so many people that want to help,” said Sergeant Jason Pratscher, a wounded warrior stationed on Fort Bragg.
“For us it's personal,” said Kangaroo Express Vice President of Marketing Dave Henninger. “Thirty percent of our associates have family members actively serving in the Armed Forces. Another 10 percent are veterans. And if you look at where our stores are, over half our stores are within a 20 mile radius of a military base.”
For the U.S.O., it's one of the largest donations ever from a single fundraising campaign.
“The U.S.O. could not lift the spirits of the troops and their families the way we do without the generous support of the American people,” said U.S.O. Senior Vice President Frank Thorp.
Click here for more information on Salute Our Troops.