A trip to New York for Veterans Day

Sean,

This Veterans Day, we're honoring the spirit of service.

And in New York, IAVA's hometown, we're continuing traditions – from marching in the largest Veterans Day parade in the country to hosting our annual Heroes Gala.

Our Sixth Annual Heroes Gala on Tuesday, November 13th is shaping up to be an incredible night. With NBC's Brian Williams as emcee for the fourth year, we're bringing people across the country together to honor the leaders who have made a huge impact on our community. Past honorees include ABC's Bob Woodruff, Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, CPL Aaron Mankin, best-selling author Wes Moore, and Dancing with the Stars winner J.R. Martinez.

This year, we're thrilled to present Joan Ganz Cooney and Pete Peterson with IAVA's 2012 Civilian Service Award. Through his work at the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, as Chairman Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations and as a board member of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Mr. Peterson has single-handedly had a huge impact on new veterans. And as one of the visionaries and founders behind the creation of Sesame Workshop, Mrs. Cooney launched the powerful Talk, Listen, Connect program to support the children of military families. Roger Waters, founding member of the multi-platinum rock band Pink Floyd, will also be honored with our inaugural Artistic Leadership Award. Mr. Waters' "Fallen Loved Ones" project was an integral part of his record-breaking "The Wall" tour, making him an important advocate and valued friend to the veteran community. Last but not least, we'll be announcing an amazing Veterans Leadership Award Honoree in the coming weeks.

This Veterans Day, we want more of you to be in New York to share this special night with us. Donate 25 dollars today, enter the code "WIN" in the "In Honor of" field, and you'll be entered in a raffle for two tickets and roundtrip travel to the Sixth Annual Heroes Gala in New York. You can also buy a ticket online or sponsor this year's event.

You won't want to miss this night, or events during Veterans Week. Stay tuned for more details on 11/11/12 events, from New York to LA and everywhere in between. No matter where you are, this will be a historic Veterans Day.

We hope to see you there.

Paul

Paul Rieckhoff
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)

P.S. IAVA recently received the highest rating from Charity Navigator, IAVA's largest independent charity evaluator – 4 stars! All funds raised at the Heroes Gala support IAVA's effective health, education, employment and community programs throughout the year.