The Rangers and Cardinals will share the Busch Stadium spotlight with another set of stars on Wednesday night: veterans and military families.
For the third year in a row, the first game of the World Series will be dedicated to our troops and to raising funds and awareness for two critical nonprofits, MLB’s Welcome Back Veterans and the White House’s Joining Forces, MLB.com reports. Michelle Obama and Jill Biden will also partake in the pre-game military ceremony and will field questions from fans through Facebook and Twitter.
"We are honored to have first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden join us for the 2011 Fall Classic to recognize the courageous men and women who serve the country as well as their families," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement on MLB.com.
Joining Forces recently called on a slew of celebrity bigwigs to raise awareness for its mission to ease veterans’ transition to civilian life. The nonprofit teamed up with Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and Steven Speilberg to produce public service announcements highlighting the organization’s wellness, education and employment programs, according to ABCnews.com
“The entertainment community answered the Joining Forces call and has done what they do best – bring to life stories that move us,” Michelle Obama said, according to the news network. “Through this PSA campaign, Americans will learn more about the unique challenges and needs of our military families...and find out how they can give back to these extraordinary troops and families who have given us so much.”
Welcome Back Veterans, which focuses its efforts on treatment and research for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, has raised more than $11 million in grants to non-profit agencies targeting veterans’ and their families’ pressing needs.
“Our goal is to transform the lives of our returning veterans by providing on-going treatment to them and their families for any PTSD issues they may have,” the nonprofit states on its website. “At the same time, we want to change the way Americans think and talk about PTSD.”
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