The Unmet Needs Program took center stage during a gala benefit in Kansas City’s Uptown Theater.  Along with plenty to eat and drink, the audience was regaled by a full military honor guard and several impassioned speakers who illuminated the plight of our military families and the invaluable role the Unmet Needs Program is playing.  Speakers included Unmet Needs celebrity spokesperson R. Lee Ermey (The “Gunny” from the History Channel’s Mail Call), actor Gary Sinise (Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump), and Andrew Carroll (bestselling author of War Letters and Behind the Lines), as well as representatives from the VFW Foundation and corporate sponsor Vermont American.

During the reception, the standing-room-only crowd mingled with the stars who signed autographs and posed for snapshots.  Each drove home the message of the evening that the Unmet Needs Program could only continue helping military families if it received support from other compassionate Americans.  Though there was no charge for the benefit, attendees were asked for a substantial donation – and most answered the call generously.

A concert following the reception treated guests to a performance by Sinise’s own rock n’ roll group, The Lt. Dan Band.  The concert was also broadcast via satellite to troops worldwide by the Missouri Veterans Commission and the University of Missouri Extension Services.

The day’s events also included an earlier appearance at the offices of the VFW Foundation, with a special presentation by Sinise and Frank Honold, President and General Manager of the Accessories Business Unit, including the Vermont American Brand of accessories, at Robert Bosch Tool Corporation.  Both were welcomed and recognized by John Fergus, adjutant general of the VFW.  Fergus thanked and congratulated the staff and supporters present for their work in building the Unmet Needs Program, announcing that more than 200 families had been helped since the program’s inception.