On May 10th, 2013 the 15th annual John Lynch “Salute the Stars” event was held on the field at Sports Authority Field. The event was attended by nearly 1,000 guests and Stars. The event awards scholarships to students, disabled and not disabled, in middle and high who excel in sports as well as academically. One Star is a starting quarterback for his high school and is legally blind! Truly remarkable young people. Scholarships toward college are awarded. Many are pursuing careers outside of sports – medicine and engineering to name a few.
Retired Gen. Tommy Franks was the guest speaker. He honored the nominees with their example of courage, leadership, and teamwork. Stating “that’s cool Jack”. Gen. Franks and John Lynch met a few weeks after the September 11 attacks in 2001 for the first time. As Commander in Chief, United States Central Command, Gen. Franks was the U.S. general leading the 2001 invasion in response to the September 11 attacks. Gen. Franks was honored to be a part of the coin flip at the Tampa Bay game where Lynch was playing at the time. They have been friends ever since.
The event was truly a remarkable experience for DBQC volunteers. We have a few more volunteer events coming up in the next few months.
Paula Faulkner
DBQC President
Here are some more pictures I took at this memorable event:
