For the sixth year in a row, the Keokuk High School and the American Legion with the help of Sean Skinner, are hosting a Military Appreciation Night at the Varsity Football game on Friday, Sept. 20.
“It is a passion to give back to our veterans,” Skinner, founding member of the Military Appreciation Night Committee, said. “They are our first line of defense and those people that step up deserve to be recognized and it isn’t just veterans and those who serve, it is their families.”
All proceeds from the sale of the military t-shirts and sponsorships of the game will go to the American Legion in Keokuk, which serves local veterans in many ways including performing about 60 funerals a year for veterans in the area as the American Legion Honor Guard. In the first five years of the event, it has raised more than $75,000 for the Legion.
The Military Appreciation ceremony will begin at 7:10 p.m. and will feature an Old Glory Service, Veterans/Active Duty introduction, National Anthem by KHS Choir, a military Helicopter fly over, Little Feathers and KHS Band performances, and a full military Color Guard with members from all over Iowa state from each branch of the service who will hold that branch’s flag. Also, the game’s honorary captain Carlos J. Barrera, a veteran from Keokuk, will be introduced. Berrera served in the military from 1989 to 2000 in logistics. He was awarded the National Defense Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Bronze Star, Southwest Asia Medal, Kuwaiti Freedom Medal, Primary Leadership Development Medal, Air Assault Medal, Airborne Medal, Expert Rifle Medal, Driver’s Medal. He currently works in quality control for an industrial painting department.
At half-time of the game the Military Appreciation Committee will present the check for the funds raised to the American Legion. The Legion has used the donation to help complete needed maintenance and update the building to better serve veterans. Due to this support, the Legion has been able to increase community partnerships and outreach to other local organizations, as well as continue to help fund the American Legion’s Honor Guard.
The event was started six years ago, and it started when Skinner’s son Corey was the varsity quarterback at KHS and the coach at the time asked Skinner if he would help put together an event to honor veterans and active service members. The first year, Skinner sold sponsorships for T-shirts and donated the money to the American Legion.
