Our special guest speaker was Ssgt. (Ret) Johnny ‘Joey’ Jones, a national advocate for veterans, frequent guest commentator on FOX News, and ambassador for the nonprofit organization: the Boot Campaign™. May of 2016 kicked off our “Challenge Accepted” Pushups for Charity™ fundraiser in which we asked nationwide, “What do you push for?” Since its inception, our companies have raised more than $54,000 for the Boot Campaign™. To culminate the fundraiser, Hero Ambassador Ssgt. (Ret.) Johnny 'Joey' Jones was invited as our special guest speaker for the ceremony, and we were honored to have him here.

In 2010, Jones lost his legs above the knee working as a bomb technician in Afghanistan. After spending two years in recovery at Walter Reed Medical Center, his experience brought him to the forefront of advocacy for active duty and veteran wounded warriors.

Upon taking the microphone and podium, Jones said, “I don’t write a speech. It’s important for me to talk to you, not at you.” He talked about where he was on 9/11. He admitted he was just a kid in high school then, and that it took a little while for him to understand what was truly happening. He said that in the afternoon on that fateful day, as he lay on the football field after practice, “...at that moment I realized, someone, somewhere was putting their heart and soul into sacrificing, into training, for my safety. For me.”

On a day that weighs heavily upon our nation, Jones brightly uplifted the somber crowd. “We were no longer black, white, rich, poor, Chargers fans, 49ers fans,” he said as the crowd giggled. “We are Americans. And every single day, we’re in this together.”

He told us his story of life and love, and the day he lost his legs. He talked about the drive to walk again and how back in Afghanistan, he went down hard, but got up twice as strong. “That is what 9/11 is,” he resolved. “It’s our country, rebounding twice as strong.”

Jones, as Ambassador of the Boot Campaign™, was then presented with a check for $54,005. The total amount raised during the “Challenge Accepted” Pushups for Charity™ fundraiser. It was an incredibly special way to first, honor the fallen of one of the most tragic days in American history, and second, to give back to those who dedicate their lives to keeping us safe.

#wewillneverforget