Veterans Week 2009 Mobilizes Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Nationwide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 5, 2009

Veterans Week 2009 Mobilizes Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Nationwide

Care Package Event in NYC, 3rd Annual Heroes Gala, Ad Council PSA Campaign and Nationwide Events among Highlights

NEW YORK – Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the country's first and largest nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, announced a full week of activities for Veterans Week across the country.

"This week, thousands of veterans will organize in every corner of America to honor those that have served. Veterans week is a time for all Americans to come together and support our veterans. No matter how you feel about troop numbers or war strategy, everyone can do something to make a difference," said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. "We are excited and proud of the events taking place across the nation, and we invite all Americans to join us. You don’t have to be a veteran to support the new veterans movement.”

Veterans Week line-up:

• Veteran Spokespeople Available for Comment: IAVA will have a number of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans available to speak on a range of issues during Veterans Week.
   
• Annual Veterans Day Celebration in New York City: IAVA will host its Annual Veterans Day Celebration to honor the service of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, following the Veterans Day Parade in New York City. The celebration will feature a care package event with hundreds of veterans, their families and high profile supporters such as past New York Jets stars. This will be followed by a celebration of service at the historic Plaza Hotel, 1 E. 58th St., New York, NY 10019. The event is Wednesday, November 11, from 2:00- 5:00 PM E.S.T.
   
• Third Annual Heroes Gala: The Third Annual Heroes Gala is a special night for veterans of all generations, families and supporters to come together and pay tribute to their peers and leaders in the veterans’ community. The star-studded gala will be hosted by NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams and will honor Iraq Veteran, Spokesperson and Actor J.R. Martinez and the President of MTV Networks Music and Logo Group, Van Toffler. Media unable to attend can also view a live web broadcast of the evening at www.iava.org/heroesgala.
   
• IAVA National Membership Events: IAVA members are taking part in hundreds of events across the country during Veterans Week. From a Cook Out in Arizona, to a Veterans Day Motorcycle Ride in Washington State, to the Veterans Photography Exhibition in Long Beach, California, to a St. Louis Veterans Day Parade, IAVA has the country covered. IAVA has developed an innovative one-stop Veterans Week web headquarters at www.iava.org/vetsweek where supporters can create an IAVA Veterans Day event and/or find existing events in their area. Here, you can also watch IAVA-produced documentary films on Hulu, see MTV’s special on Iraq Veteran Ryan Conklin of “The Real World” and much more.
   
• Launch of A New Groundbreaking PSA: On Veterans Day, IAVA and the Ad Council will launch a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs). Now in its second year, the national outreach campaign aims to ease the readjustment challenges facing Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as they transition from combat to civilian life. The PSAs encourage new veterans to join IAVA’s exclusive online community at www.iava.org, a social network exclusively for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The new PSAs will be available Wednesday, November 11, exclusively on the IAVA Facebook Fan page at www.facebook.com/IAVA.org.

All Veterans Week Events are OPEN PRESS.

If you are a member of the media who wishes to cover IAVA’s Veterans Week, the NYC Veterans Parade and celebration, the Third Annual Heroes Gala, or to arrange an interview with IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff or any other IAVA veteran in your area, please contact IAVA’s Director of Communications, Chrissy Stevens, at (212) 982-9699 or Chrissy@iava.org.

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 150,000 veteran members and civilian supporters nationwide.

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