Purple Heart Medal recipients and military veterans are invited to the eighth annual Wake Forest Purple Heart Dinner on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 5:30 p.m., at Richland Creek Community Church at 3229 Burlington Mills Road.
Hosted by the Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation, the dinner is an opportunity for the public to help honor those wounded in battle. In addition to Purple Heart Medal recipients and their families, the dinner is open to all veterans, military families and the public.
This year’s keynote speaker is retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Timothy Payne of Raleigh. An 11-year veteran, he was deployed three times with the 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg. Payne was on foot patrol in Afghanistan on July 3, 2011, when a 30-pound improvised explosive device detonated under him. Payne lost both legs in the explosion and spent more than a year and a half in the hospital, undergoing 100 blood transfusions and 120 surgeries.
As part of his recovery, he eventually turned to swimming. In May at the Invictus Games, he won four swimming medals, including gold in the 100-meter freestyle.
The annual Purple Heart dinner includes the Walk of Honor, entertainment by the Northeast Piedmont Chorale, patriotic tributes, and a catered meal. Last year’s celebration saluted more than 40 Purple Heart recipients.
Tickets are $20 each and may be ordered online at www.WakeForestPurpleHeartFoundation.org. Tax-deductible contributions may be made payable to Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation, P.O. Box 168, Wake Forest, NC, 27588.
