Play for Your Freedom lets veterans have a ball
KINGSTON, N.Y. » Play for Your Freedom began when founder Dave Lionheart realized “you can’t always see a veteran’s wounds,” he said Saturday at the group’s fourth annual Football Classic at Dietz Memorial Stadium.
That realization inspired Lionheart “to find out who is suffering and how we can help them.”
Lionheart, of Newburgh, said his consciousness about the plight of veterans was raised when he found out that a friend had been injured in war, and that his wounds were not physical.
“When I found out what he was going through and carrying on his shoulders, it kind of raised some awareness for me on what our modern-day and longtime soldiers have been going through and what they keep inside,” Lionheart said as about 100 Kingston residents braved chilly temperatures and cloudy skies and joined veterans, local police officers state police and veterans at a daylong Football Classic and wellness workshop.
All of the proceeds of the gathering, from Tshirt and sweatshirt sales, went directly to help local hospitalized veterans and for 2017/2018 Wellness Workshops for vets.
“We just try to get (the veterans) out and active again, part of a team, throwing a football around, lots of high fives and stuff like that. We’re not reinventing the wheel. We’re just really caring for a couple hours ... in a positive atmosphere,” Lionheart said.