15th Annual Hope for the Warriors Celebrity Invitational Events

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – The 15th annual Hope for the Warriors Celebrity Invitational kicked off this weekend in Wallace at the Mad Boar Restaurant.

Hope for the Warriors is an organization that helps to support Service Members and Veterans.

They invited the community and celebrities to spend time with members and learn more about their way of life.

“We’re bringing the military together with a lot of civilians and we are sharing the military experience with them. They’ll get to know our service members and the what they’re dealing with and the lifestyle they have”, says Robin Kelleher, C.E.O. and Founder.

Kelleher says it’s important to host these types of event so people can know why we support the military even when we’re not at war.

Professional Athletes, Media Personalities, and Actors mingled with attendees at the Celebrity Autograph event on Friday.

Former MLB player, Doug Flynn, returns to the event every year because he hopes to makes an impact. “There is always some way each and every one of us can give back. Being a former baseball player, I know that some people like to tell baseball stories, if that’s my job I’m okay with it”, says Flynn.

Flynn also wants Veterans to know they’re appreciated. “I just want to be there to say thank you for what you’ve done because it gave me a chance to live a life as I wanted to do as a professional athlete.”

The events continued Sunday night with what organizers calls “Warrior Night”. It’s a dinner in the style of a Mess Hall, where traditionally the military gather in a large group to eat together.

The event is meant to give attendees a military experience.

Everyone in the room had to ask permission to address the president at the head table before speaking into the microphone. If anyone talked out of order or moved around without asking they had to pay the “Mess Hall Fine”, which is a donation that goes to organization.

Plenty of people donated a generous amount for the good cause.

The veterans say they appreciated being included in events like these.

“Any organization that invites your family out to a function like this…is amazing because it allows us to reconnect, it allows us to decompress, and live a life worthy of my guys sacrifices”, says Kevin Bittenbender, 34 year Army Veteran.

The last event of the 15th Annual Hope for the Warriors Celebrity Invitational will be on Monday.

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