SPECIAL EVENTS

On Friday, November 11, 2011, the City of Houston will show support for our Armed Forces and celebrate the annual "Houston Salutes American Heroes” Veterans Day Commemoration and Parade. Mayor Annise D. Parker has again partnered with the City’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs to host the second annual AT&T Veterans Job Fair and the first Walgreens Veterans Health Fair.

The annual “Houston Salutes American Heroes” festivities will kick off on the steps of City Hall at 10 a.m. with guest speakers and a moment of silence, followed by the 11th hour ceremony in memory of the WWI signing of the Armistice. The AT&T Veterans Job Fair and the Walgreens Veterans Health Fair will begin at 11 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. in front of City Hall. The American Heroes parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. and travel down Smith Street between Texas and Lamar.

“It is always an honor to recognize our local heroes with this extraordinary parade. Through our corporate partners AT&T and Walgreens we are able to assist service members returning to the work force,” said Mayor Anise Parker. “The City of Houston will continue to make it a priority to help these men and women return home to productive lives.”

Twenty one percent of service men and women returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and military assignments around the world are finding themselves unemployed, underemployed or unable to effectively translate their extensive military skills into the current job market. According to E. A. "Buddy" Grantham, director, City of Houston Office of Veterans' Affairs, approximately 300,000 Veterans live in the Houston metropolitan area with 22,000 of those Vets having returned since 9/11.

“AT&T is proud to join Mayor Parker and the City of Houston again this year in supporting the men and women who have stepped up and sacrificed so much to protect our freedom,” said Alice Aanstoos, regional vice president of AT&T, Houston. “Our company has a legacy of working hard to be an employer, business partner and a service provider of choice for active military members and veterans.”

Walgreens will provide flu shots and on-site health screenings including: blood glucose testing, bone density, blood pressure readings, cholesterol checks, waist circumference, and Body Mass Index exams. Free HIV/STD and TB screenings will also be available courtesy of the City of Houston, Health and Human Services Department. Healing Hands for Heroes will offer free massages, the VA Hospital will educate veterans about services and benefits and the Houston Fire Department will be onsite educating on stroke/cardiac awareness.

“Walgreens is proud to serve as a health care resource for our military men and women, veterans, and their families this Veterans Day and every day,” said James D. Ward, Walgreens market vice president. As one of the city’s most accessible, trusted providers of health and daily living needs, we are committed to offering the tools and information to help our nation’s heroes stay well and live well.”

Bill Balleza, USMC Veteran and television anchor will emcee the 10:00 a.m. ceremony. Major General Jimmie Jaye Wells, commanding general of the 75th Mission Command Training Division, Houston, Texas will serve as the parade’s Grand Marshal. John B. Wing, accompanied by his wife, Resa, will serve as keynote speaker for the commemoration’s opening ceremony. Wing holds a B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and an M.B.A. from Harvard University, where he graduated with high distinction and was designated a Baker Scholar. He served as an Army pilot and is a Vietnam veteran.

For more information, please visit www.houstonspecialevents.org.