Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans Ring Closing Bell at NASDAQ; Celebrate July 4th

MEDIA ADVISORY
Thursday, July 2, 2009

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NEW YORK –Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation’s first and largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization representing veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will ring the Closing Bell at The NASDAQ Stock Market in New York City.  IAVA Board Member and Afghanistan veteran Wes Moore will lead the ceremony, joined by IAVA member veterans from the Tri-State area.  The ceremony begins at 3:30 PM (EST) at the NASDAQ MarketSite at 4 Times Square, and is OPEN to the media.  To attend, please RSVP to Michael Houston at michael@iava.org. 

“I am honored to ring NASDAQ’s Closing Bell with my fellow veterans today. As we close the markets before the July 4th holiday, we must pause and remember all those in uniform who have sacrificed for our nation, and those still serving on the frontlines today,” said IAVA Board Member and Afghanistan veteran Wes Moore.

In the first six months of 2009, there has been significant progress on the most pressing issues facing new veterans, especially in the areas of employment, education, healthcare, and benefits. In addition, with the expansion of the National Veteran Support Campaign, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans now have a thriving online community (www.CommunityofVeterans.org) to help them connect with one another and access critical resources. IAVA has also expanded its network of veterans and supporters and held local events in communities across the country, from the Pat Tillman memorial Run in Phoenix, to the Sprint Palm Pre Launch Event in Los Angeles to the Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony at Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C. 

“This Independence Day, our troops and veterans have real cause for celebration. In the last six months, Americans, in local communities and in Washington, have worked together to prioritize the needs of troops, veterans, and their families. There could not be a stronger demonstration of patriotism,” said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff.

About Wes Moore: Wes, a paratrooper and Captain in the United States Army Reserves, recently returned from a combat tour of duty in Afghanistan where he served as the Director of Information Operations with the elite 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division. He now works as an investment banker with Citigroup.  Prior to his career in finance, Wes completed an MLitt in International Relations from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University and was awarded by the Maryland College Football Hall of Fame. He is currently authoring a book for a 2010 release published by Random House, about two kids from Baltimore: Wes Moore himself and another man by the same name now serving a life sentence for killing a policeman.  He served as a White House Fellow in the Department of State.

To arrange an interview with IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff, IAVA Board Member Wes Moore, or any other IAVA member veteran, please contact Michael Houston at 212-982-9699 or michael@iava.org. 

To see photos from when IAVA rang the closing bell at NASDAQ on New Year’s Eve 2008, click here.

About NASDAQ OMX:

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is the world’s largest exchange company. It delivers trading, exchange technology and public company services across six continents, with over 3,800 listed companies. NASDAQ OMX Group offers multiple capital raising solutions to companies around the globe, including its U.S. listings market; NASDAQ OMX Nordic, NASDAQ OMX Baltic, NASDAQ OMX First North; and the U.S. 144A sector. The company offers trading across multiple asset classes including equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products and ETFs. NASDAQ OMX Group technology supports the operations of over 70 exchanges, clearing organizations and central securities depositories in more than 50 countries. NASDAQ OMX Nordic and NASDAQ OMX Baltic are not legal entities but describe the common offering from NASDAQ OMX Group exchanges in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Iceland, Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. For more information about NASDAQ OMX, visit http://www.nasdaqomx.com.

About IAVA:

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 125,000 veteran members and civilian supporters nationwide. Its mission is to improve the lives of this country's newest generation of veterans and their families.