Veterans Weekend We'll NEVER Forget

This weekend can be best described by this quote:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.

Veterans Weekend 2011 was unbelievable. 

Kicked off Thursday night when I was invited to be the guest speaker at the Groton Lion's club dinner. I had the opportunity to talk to a room filled with people who appreciate and love the military. Many who have much more experience and understanding than I'll ever know...

Friday morning we received our copy of the Hartford Magazine article about Apparel of Honor - check it out!!!

Friday night I walked into The Black Sheep Restaurant in Niantic, CT to see Apparel of Honor "Risk" shirts on almost every person on the staff! It was a humbling moment to walk in and see that what we are trying to do with Apparel of Honor - raise awareness about how awesome our Veterans are - is working! 

Saturday we sold Apparel of Honor shirts at the Keni Thomas event. Keni is not only an incredibly talented motivator and singer but he is also a Veteran. He was there in Mogadishu as an Army Ranger involved in the fight. He is the REAL THING. He is inspiring.

From the support of Keni's fans, we were able to donate more than $100 to the
Special Operations Warrior Foundation on Saturday!
The event raised even more - that was just Apparel of Honor's portion! 

There were other moments of the weekend that literally - took my breath away. A friend dropped off red, white and blue flowers. She said that she had been visiting Veterans who gave their lives for us all day dropping off flowers. I was the one person she chose to visit on Veterans Day and say thanks in person. The honor and respect she showed me in that gesture can't be described and it gave me more motivation to do everything possible to make sure Apparel of Honor stays rooted in our mission. 

Three other organizations donated money and extended their hearts to Veterans this weekend. The Groton Area Chief Petty Officers Association, The Freedom Riders USA and a small group of military spouses that call themselves "Anam Cara" made a private gesture that showed that Veterans out there are LOVED and will NEVER be forgotten. 

This weekend was a reminder of why we started Apparel of Honor and why it means so much to us.