Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Thomasville celebrate veterans with parachutes, potlucks, and parades! (2024)

SO YES, THANK YOU BRIAN FOR OUR FORECAST. IT IS NOW TIME FOR OUR FIRST LIVE GUEST OF THE MORNING. MAY FIRST IS ALREADY TOMORROW. I KNOW THAT’S HARD TO BELIEVE. YEAH. VETERAN ORGANIZATION CALLED HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS IS LAUNCHING A NEW INITIATIVE AHEAD OF MEMORIAL DAY, WHICH IS MAY 27TH, COMING UP SOON. IT IS CALLED THE 30 BY 30 MEMORIAL DAY WELLNESS CHALLENGE. IT’S OPEN TO EVERYONE, NOT JUST VETERANS. AND TO TELL US MORE THIS MORNING WE HAVE SEAN LAMAR JOINING US LIVE. THE HE IS THE HEAD OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AT HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. HI. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. I’M REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE. OH, YOU’RE VERY WELCOME. SO FIRST, IF YOU COULD TELL US ABOUT YOUR MEMORIAL DAY. THIS IS LIKE YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WHOLE MONTH OF MAY 30TH BY 30, WELLNESS CHALLENGE. WHAT DOES IT ENTAIL? OF COURSE, EACH YEAR WE, UH, KICK THIS OFF. IT STARTS ON THE FIRST. IT’S A COMMITMENT TO DO 30 MINUTES OF EXERCISE FOR 30 DAYS STRAIGHT. UM, IT’S A VIRTUAL AND FREE WELLNESS CHALLENGE, AND IT FOCUSES ON INDIVIDUAL, UM, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. UM, WHILE KIND OF SIMULTANEOUSLY HONORING AND REMEMBERING THOSE WHO PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE WHILE SERVING. UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, COLLECTION OF SERVICES OF HOPE CLIENTS THAT WE FEATURE THROUGHOUT IT. UM, SO IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR SOME REAL STORIES FROM, UH, THOSE IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY WHILE, UH, GETTING OUTSIDE AND GETTING ENGAGED. I LOVE THAT, YEAH. SEAN, WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE OVERALL IMPACT OF THE 30 BY 30 CHALLENGE IS? WELL, WE’RE HOPING TO GET PEOPLE OUT AND MOVING. REALLY? UM, I THINK ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF COVID, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE FOR PEOPLE AND CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT THE VETERAN COMMUNITY, UH, SUFFERS THROUGH. UM, SO WE WANT TO KIND OF SIMULTANEOUSLY HONOR THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES WHILE GETTING PEOPLE OUT AND GETTING PEOPLE GOING. AND, UM, THERE’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS PEOPLE CAN BE ACTIVE, TOO. IT’S NOT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN THEY, UH, PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THESE WELLNESS CHALLENGES, A LOT OF THE TIMES IT’S THEY THINK THEY GOT TO BE A BIG RUNNER OR HIKER OR SOMETHING. UM, BUT IT’S REALLY SUBJECTIVE. ANY KIND OF ACTIVITY THAT, YOU KNOW, GETS YOU OUT, GETS YOU PHYSICAL. UM, WORKS FOR US. WE HAVE FOLKS WHO EVEN DO GARDENING AS WHAT THEY LOG AS THEIR 30 MINUTES OF ACTIVITY EACH DAY, WHICH, UM, YOU KNOW, I’M SURE ANYONE WITH A GARDEN KNOWS THAT IT’S, UH, COULD BE QUITE STRENUOUS, TOO. SO ANYONE OF ANY ABILITY HAS A ROOM IN THIS CHALLENGE? YEAH. YARD WORKS A WORKOUT. IT IS. I KNOW, AND IT’S SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING. RIGHT. SO I LOVE THAT YOU KIND OF MENTIONED THAT PEOPLE DON’T NEED TO BE INTIMIDATED BY THE WELLNESS CHALLENGE. IS THERE A COST? SEAN? AND WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO THAT’S RAISED FROM THE CHALLENGE? OH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. UH, NO COST AT ALL. IT’S A FREE CHALLENGE. WE’RE HOPING, UM, ANYONE AGAIN? UH, WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMPLETE IT FEELS LIKE THEY’VE GOT SPACE HERE. FREE TO REGISTER. UM, BUT THERE IS PEER TO PEER FUNDRAISING THAT’S AVAILABLE AND REALLY GREAT RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO FUNDRAISING AND ALL OF THE FUNDS GO DIRECTLY TOWARDS, UM, HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. OKAY. TERRIFIC. SEAN. THANK YOU. IF PEOPLE WANT TO SIGN UP FOR THE CHALLENGE, WHAT DO THEY NEED TO DO? UH, JUST GO TO OUR WEBSITE. WE GOT IT AT HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS ORG. YOU’LL FIND IT RIGHT IN THE SMACK CENTER OF OUR, UH, HOME PAGE RIGHT NOW. UH, CLICK ON 30 BY 30 MEMORIAL DAY CHALLENGE. IT WILL LEAD YOU RIGHT TO OUR REGISTRATION. WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE YOU CAN DO IT INDIVIDUALLY. IT’S A GREAT WORKPLACE WELLNESS CHALLENGE. YOU CAN BRING IN SOME FOLKS, UM, EVEN IF YOU WORK IN A SMALL BUSINESS OR MAYBE A LARGE CORPORATION, AN, UM, ANYONE CAN, UH, SET SOME REALLY GREAT TEAMS UP AS WELL. AND YOU CAN COMPETE WITH THOSE THAT YOU WORK WITH OR, YOU KNOW, WITHIN YOUR FAMILY. YEAH. A LITTLE FRIENDLY COMPETITION DOESN’T HURT. SEAN. WE DO HAVE TIME BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE TO YOU, TO JUST REMIND PEOPLE THE MISSION OF HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS IS, UH. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT QUESTION, TOO. UH, AND ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR AUDIENCE THERE IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS WAS BORN AND RAISED THERE. UM, WE STARTED FROM A FEW DIFFERENT FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WERE, UH, SEEING THEIR LOVED ONES COME BACK WITH THE EFFECTS OF WAR, UM, AND KNEW THAT THEY NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP OUT. THAT WAS ALMOST TWO DECADES AGO, AND NOW WE HAVE A COLLECTION OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT, UM, RANGE FROM PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLNESS TO TRYING TO BRING A GREATER STRENGTH TO STABILITY AND COMMUNITY, TO FOLKS. UM, WE KIND OF TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HOW WE CARE FOR OUR VETERANS AND MILITARY LOVED ONES. UM, AND I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE, TOO, WE’RE A POST 911 VETERAN ORGANIZATION. UM, BUT IT’S NOT JUST THE VETERAN OR THE ACTIVE DUTY. IT’S ALSO MILITARY FAMILY MEMBERS, MILITARY CHILDREN, CAREGIVERS. UM, WE COVER A WIDE SCOPE OF, UM, WHO WE TRY TO HELP OUT AND CONNECT TO SERVICES. WOW. WELL, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO, SEAN, AND FOR YOUR TIME HERE THIS MORNING FOR EVERYONE AT HOME HERE IS THAT INFORMATION ONCE AGAIN, THE MEMORIAL DAY 30 BY 30 WELLNESS CHALLENGE STARTS TOMORROW, MAY 1ST. YOU CAN REGISTER INDIVIDUALLY OR GET A TEAM TOGETHER. YOU CAN FIND MOR