Palm Beach Brunch for Forgotten Soldiers Outreach Raises More Than $28,000

"Supporting America's deployed military service members, to ensure they are not forgotten"

Palm Beach Brunch for Forgotten Soldiers Outreach Raises More Than $28,000

09.11.2017

Forgotten Soldiers Outreach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              CONTACT: Lynelle Zelnar, Executive Director

Forgotten Soldiers Outreach

[email protected]   (561) 369-2933

 

Palm Beach Brunch for Forgotten Soldiers Outreach Raises More Than $28,000

PALM BEACH, FL (November 6, 2017) – The 3rd Annual “Hero’s Toast” Champagne Brunch at The Colony Hotel November 3rd raised more than $28,000 for the nonprofit Forgotten Soldiers Outreach (FSO), which since 2003 has sent over 400,000 “We Care” packages to U.S. troops deployed overseas.

Attendees filled the pavilion at The Colony to extend their support to Forgotten Soldiers Outreach.   Jay Zeager emceed the sold-out event.   Guests were greeted with the sound of the elegant saxophone provided by Reginald Ellis, Saxophonist, while they mingled and bought tickets for a chance drawing to win baskets filled with gift cards for hotel stays, shopping sprees, rounds of golf and a deep-sea fishing excursion. The program commenced with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard presenting the colors, followed by The National Anthem sang by Kathy Buchanan.

The guest speaker was Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, an author and a colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.  In 2003, while on active duty in the Marine Corps, Bogdanos led an investigation into the looting of Iraq’s National Museum. He shared photos of many of the stolen items, 62,000 of which his team ultimately helped recover. The sale of stolen antiquities is one of the major funding sources for ISIS, he told the crowd. Bogdanos is the recipient of the National Humanities Medal for his work recovering Iraq’s treasures, and is the author of Thieves of Baghdad: One Marine’s Passion to Recover the World’s Greatest Stolen Treasures.

Sponsors included Brown, Harris, Stevens of Palm Beach; Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, PA; Surplus Giant; Two Men and A Truck; Floridian Community Bank; Palm Beach Kennel Club; Flower Jungle of Lake Worth along with two individual sponsors.

All money raised will pay shipping costs for the monthly “We Care” packages, each of which is filled to the brim with toiletries, snacks and recreational items.  Deployed United States service members may sign up to receive their “We Care” packages at www.forgottensoldiers.org.  Family members also may register loved ones.

“What an amazing event, with such charitable and patriotic supporters,” said Lynelle Chauncey Zelnar, FSO founder and executive director. “It brought me to tears to not only hear our amazing speaker, but to see the outpouring of support for our deployed United States Armed Forces. It certainly made me proud to be an American.  The funds raised will certainly help assure that our troops are not forgotten.”

For more information, please visit www.forgottensoldiers.org or call (561) 369-2933.

 

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