A charity benefit for the nationally renowned Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team on Sunday, January 22 will feature two former Angels’ greats, food, music and much more.
The event, hosted by residents Victor and Eileen Gonzalez and the City, will benefit the softball team made up of veterans who lost a limb serving our nation in the military, Iraq and Afghanistan wars and are now showing they can compete with anyone. The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team was founded by David Van Sleet, an Army veteran and 30-year Department of Veterans Affairs employee who now works in prosthetics for the VA.
“What I noticed was that coming back from this new generation of veterans from the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, there was quite a few who looked athletic,” Van Sleet said. “There was one thing they were concerned about. Their point of view was, ‘God, I want to know if I’ll ever play a team sport at a high level again.’ ”
The team will compete against the Orange County Veterans & First Responders Softball team, which includes US military veterans and members of OC Fire & Rescue, the Sheriff’s Department and CHP.
The fun-filled event will feature a barbecue picnic, music, silent auction, patriotic speeches and softball at Alicia Park to raise awareness of what some veterans have faced and are overcoming with hard work and spirit. The event kicks off at noon with the barbecue, live music and silent auction. The softball game follows at 1:30 p.m.
Mayor Frank Ury will throw out the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. along with former Angels Justin Speier and Rod Carew.
Tickets are $20 for adults; $5 for children 15 and under. Entry includes a barbecue meal ticket. Tickets will be available at the gate. Alicia Park is located at 23650 Via Linda.
For more information about the team, visit www.woundedwarrioramputeesoftballteam.org. Information about the event is available by contacting Victor Gonzalez at 949-212-3942 or eilvic@cox.net or Stephanie Raes at 949-470-8493 or sraes@cityofmissionviejo.org.
These aetthles are true heroes. Thank you to the Department of Veteran Affairs for helping make this dream a reality.