Nicholas Sparks Foundation supports Local Military

April 13, 2012 - PRLog -- NEW BERN, NC, April 12, 2012 – Hope For The Warriors® is excited to announce their addition as beneficiary to the Nicholas Sparks Foundation.  The nonprofit, and the military families they assist, will be guests April 20-22 for the Nicholas Sparks Celebrity Family Weekend Celebration.  The weekend is filled with events to both raise funds for the foundation and honor local military heroes.  Hope For The Warriors® is a national nonprofit organization that assists combat wounded service members, their families, and families of the fallen.

The highlight of the weekend will be the premiere of Spark’s newest movie in his hometown, The Lucky One, starring actor Zac Efron and based on the novel by the same name.  The red carpet event will be on Friday, April 20 in downtown New Bern.  The screening is invitation-only and honored guests will include film stars and local service members and their families along with our wounded warriors.

“I’m excited to welcome my fans from far and near to join us to help raise awareness and funds for the charities my family and I cherish so deeply,” Sparks said.  “Beyond the events, I know people will enjoy all that New Bern has to offer.”

Celebrities currently scheduled to appear include singer Kellie Pickler, The Lucky One and Mad Men actor Jay Ferguson; CSI star Hill Harper, One Tree Hill actors Stephen Colletti and Bethany Joy Lenz; Party of Five star Scott Wolf; actor Jake T. Austin from Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place, NFL football stars TJ Yates and Matt Leinart; Olympic athletes Dan Jansen and Billy Mills; ESPN’s Hannah Storm and Jay Harris, and from The Weather Channel Jim Cantore and Stephanie Abrams.

Hope For The Warriors® joins two other nonprofit as beneficiaries of the Nicholas Sparks Foundation:  The Epiphany School in New Bern, NC and Paws With a Cause.

“New Bern is a wonderful, patriotic city, surrounded by several large military bases.  This is the perfect location for this movie, with a storyline centered around a Marine who returns from Iraq,” Robin Kelleher, Hope For The Warriors® President said.  “We are honored that Nicholas Sparks and his family have added Hope For The Warriors® to the organizations they support.”

Presented by Pepsi, other events for the weekend include a Family Fun Night that includes performances by the band Everly and magician Carl Michael, celebrity appearances, picnic supper, games, bounce houses and dancing.  On Saturday, the Golfing with the Celebrities tournament will be held at the New Bern Golf and Country Club and will involve numerous wounded service members from North Carolina military bases.  Sunday will begin with a 5K race and 1-mile run/walk led by our warriors, beginning and ending on the New Bern High School track.  For a complete listing of events, visit www.sparksevent.org.  

The mission of Hope For The Warriors® (www.hopeforthewarriors.org) is to enhance quality of life for U.S. service members and their families nationwide who have been adversely affected by injuries or death in the line of duty. Hope For The Warriors® actively seeks to ensure that the sacrifices of wounded and fallen warriors and their families are never forgotten nor their needs unmet.

Hope For The Warriors® has earned a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org), an independent organization that evaluates fiscal responsibility and accountability of nonprofits.

Hope For The Warriors® (Federal Tax ID 20-5182295) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity as defined in sections 509(A)(1) and 170(B)(1)(A)(VI) of the Internal Revenue Code.  Combined Federal Campaign, CFC #27800.

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Hope For The Warriors® is a national nonprofit organization that assists combat wounded service members, their families, and families of the fallen.