PECULIAR, Mo./TYSONS, Va.––PenFed Credit Union will be a sponsor of Operation BBQ Relief, a tax-exempt charitable organization committed to providing hot meals and compassion to areas after disaster strikes. It is inviting community members to join The Breaking Bread Tour and support military, first responders and the hungry during a cross-country tour April 28-June 20.
PenFed noted the tour will follow Operation BBQ Relief’s Head of Non-Disaster Programs Jarrid “Jay” Collins, community members, and athletes from Achilles International and the Semper Fi Fund as they run, bike and hand-cycle across eight communities from Los Angeles to Tampa. The tour will end June 20 in Tampa, for the opening of the 2019 Department of Defense Warrior Games, where Operation BBQ Relief will support athletes and families throughout the games. Collins, a U.S. Army veteran and wounded warrior who was injured during a deployment to Afghanistan, will compete for team United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) during the games.
In each of the eight community stops, Operation BBQ Relief will provide hot BBQ meals to over 10,000 military service members, first responders and those less fortunate.
“Many things divide people today, which is why we believe in bringing people together by connecting, inspiring and serving communities through the Healing Power of BBQ,” said Collins. “We look forward to breaking bread with as many people as possible throughout this tour and helping those who do good for their communities.”
The tour will stop and serve meals in the following cities:
* Los Angeles (April 28) - Feeding homeless at Skid Row
* Phoenix, Arizona (May 5) - Feeding homeless in downtown Phoenix
* El Paso, Texas (May 13) - Feeding soldiers and families on Fort Bliss
* San Antonio, Texas (May 20) - Feeding wounded warriors, family and staff at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC)
* Houston (May 25) - Feeding community and homeless
* Hammond, La. (June 2) - Feeding first responders and community
* Panama City, Florida (June 9) - Feeding those still suffering from 2018 storms
* Tampa (June 20) - Feeding athletes and families for 2019 DOD Warrior Games
In addition to serving meals, Collins will participate in community events throughout the tour, including being recognized as the “Hero of the Game” for the April 28 LA Dodgers home game and throwing out first pitches at baseball games in Houston and Tampa.
PenFed Credit Union, the nation’s second-largest federal credit union, is a tour sponsor. Jay Collins is a member of the PenFed Foundation Speakers Bureau that brings together the best and brightest military veterans with unique stories to share, the credit union said.
“We are especially proud to support Jay Collins as he inspires others through this cross-country running tour bringing people together and feeding the hungry,” said James Schenck, president and CEO of PenFed Credit Union and CEO of the PenFed Foundation. “Jay and the entire Operation BBQ Relief team embody our core PenFed values and we thank them for all that they do.”