Earlier this year Missed Gear attended a promotional event at the Martinsville Speedway to introduce a Heroic young man injured while serving our Country and a talented film star with a musical side stepping in to help him.
United States Marine Corporal J. B. Kerns was injured by a terrorist IED on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. The goal is to raise funds for a specialized home he can call his own in SW Virginia.
The film star is Gary Sinise. (CSI: NY, Apollo 13, Forrest Gump) Gary adopted the name of his character from the film “Forrest Gump” and put his love of music together with a mission to help the men, women and families of our Armed Forces.
The Gary Sinise Foundation, in association with many other organizations, have put together USO shows and other events to raise money for the construction of special needs homes for many of our injured Heroes. One of those men is Virginia’s own Corporal J. B. Kerns. The original show with the “Lt. Dan Band” was scheduled for NASCAR race weekend around the Martinsville Speedway. Unfortunately, Gary Sinise became a victim himself when another vehicle crashed into the car he was in merely weeks before the show. While the show was postponed from race weekend, Gary was set on getting the fundraiser set with a new date.
Enter “Rooster Walk“. This is a music festival in the Martinsville, VA area that sprung up several years ago with another mission of awareness and fundraising. The organizers of the festival put together a scholarship and music awareness program for two friends who had died entirely too young. Edwin “The Rooster” Penn & Walker Shank became the namesake for “Rooster Walk” and the festival has grown to host bigger crowds and many bands over Memorial Day weekend.
The “Lt. Dan Band” show with Gary Sinise will go on as the event opener for Rooster Walk. The show will be at the Blue Mountain Festival Grounds in Martinsville, VA. Ticket holders from the earlier scheduled show will be honored and new tickets for the Lt. Dan Band show and the entire Rooster Walk festival are also available. As before, funds from the Thursday night show with Gary Sinise and his band go to help Corporal J. B. Kerns and the building fund for his home.
The series of events that began with tragedy in Afghanistan for a young Virginia Hero have passed through the Martinsville area as the community moves forward to help. The staff of Martinsville Speedway introduced the show, the folks at Rooster Walk are now hosting the show, Gary and his band are ready to do the show…
All that remains is to enjoy some great music and get the job done for a Brave American with remembrance to so many more. Thursday, May 24th, enjoy the music of talented musicians assembled for the “Lt. Dan Band” with Gary Sinise.
Friday, May 25th through Sunday, May 27th, enjoy the music of so many more musicians scheduled for “Rooster Walk” and the “Penn-Shank Memorial Scholarship” at Martinsville High School.
We can’t think of a better way to honor all Americans who have stepped up and sacrificed as Memorial Day weekend unfolds. The Gary Sinise Foundation is there every day for these Heroes. For Memorial Day 2012, Virginia will be the home of one of them representing so many more.
Details and more for Rooster Walk online.
Find more for the Gary Sinise Foundation online.
Photos from the introduction at Martinsville Speedway:
good luck 2 gary and his team and have a very nice time