x
  
  
Posted: 11/03/11

TAMIU Honors Veterans Monday, Tuesday

 

TAMIU Logo
 

In honor of Veterans Day, an effort to raise awareness about the accomplishments of wounded warrior athletes and the overall benefits of adapted sports programs, Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) will host a variety of events on campus Nov. 7 - 8.

On Monday, Nov. 7, TAMIU welcomes guests from Brooks Army Medical Center to demonstrate and discuss the benefits of adapted sports programs at the “Adaptive Sports Experience” from 1:30 – 3 p.m. at the Kinesiology Convocation Building.

Physical education teachers, school administrators, fitness and sports students, city officials and anyone interested in developing an adapted sports program are invited to watch accomplished Paralympic athletes discuss the benefits of developing adapted sports programs in a community.

The event is presented by Jennifer Cooper, United States Olympic Committee, Paralympic Division; Stephen Bracken, Gabe Diaz De León, United States Army, six-time Paralympic medalist in discuss, javelin and shotput events and member, Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame, and Jen Yung Lee, retired U.S. Army and member of the National Sled Hockey team.

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, TAMIU will host a Veterans Appreciation Breakfast, from 8:30 – 10 a.m. in the University Success Center, room 101. The breakfast is held to honor TAMIU student veterans along with faculty, staff and community veterans for their sacrifice to our nation.

Monday’s guests from the Brooks Army Medical Center will remain in Laredo to present a screening of the award-winning documentary “Warrior Champions” at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Theater, room 236. The award-winning documentary is a powerful film that “tells the emotional and inspiring story of a group of severely wounded American soldiers as they fight to turn nightmares of war into Paralympic dreams.” The event is free and open to the public.

The TAMIU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has been selling fundraising tickets to benefit the TAMIU Student Veterans Textbook Fund. The 2011 SAAC drawing will be announced on Saturday, Nov. 12. The grand prize is a trip for two to Las Vegas that includes two Allegiant Air round-trip tickets from Laredo and three-night stay at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino. Second and third prizes are a $200 and $100 gift card from Academy Sports and Outdoors. This is the second year that the TAMIU group has done this.

The main goal of the TAMIU Student Veterans Text Book Fund is to help veterans purchase books by bridging the gap between Veterans Administration benefits and actual textbook expenses. The program provides direct assistance for all veterans enrolled at TAMIU and funds raised are divided equally among TAMIU veterans signed up for assistance.

In 2010, the SAAC fundraiser helped the TAMIU Student Veterans Text Book Fund provide direct assistance to 24 veterans in the amount of $150 each. There are approximately 85 student veterans currently enrolled at TAMIU.

For more information on the film “Warrior Champions,” visit http://warriorchampions.com/

For more information on Veterans Appreciation events, please contact Dan Lathey at 326.2892 or by e-mail at dlathey@tamiu.edu  


Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu