From: Bob Lange [mailto:bob@bob-lange.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2012 2:58 PM
To: Fleming, Jeff
Cc: bob@bob-lange.com
Subject: Marine walking through Kingsport for Wounded Warriors
Jeff,
In early May, a young former Marine will be walking 500 miles from Knoxville to DC. He will be coming through Kingsport on about May 10. Here is a piece from WVLT in Knoxville. There are a couple of journalistic errors in the story. 1: Mac is a former Marine, not a retired Marine. 2: Brad Walker, the amputee is not walking the entire time.
Here’s the link to the TV report: http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/Local_Marine__147770225.html and to Mac’s website for the walk: http://www.rucktoremember.com/#!.
Mac McCollum deployed to Iraq with Delta Company, Marine Reserves, in Knoxville, along with Brad Walker, the amputee in the video. He is the best friend of our son, Rob, a 1993 Dobyns-Bennett grad who was also deployed with them. Mac just graduated from college, and is making this walk to generate funds for the Wounded Warrior Project.
I have contacted the VietNam veterans chapter, and they will be discussing how to support Mac at their meeting this Saturday. I have talked with Mac about walking through downtown Kingsport and stopping at the Veterans’ Memorial during his walk, and he likes the idea.
Could you make some contacts with media to get the word out, and help generate interest in this event? Maybe, have a small ceremony at the memorial, and/or help the hikers get a meal and a place to stay while they are in the area. I can invite them to stay at my house, but a good hotel room would provide more privacy. Also, Golden Corral is very supportive of the military. I haven’t approached them, because I’m not sure of exactly when Mac will come through, but I’m sure they would offer a meal to the hikers if a lot of paying customers came in to eat with them.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Bob Lange
246-1570 (H)
292-1310 (C)
