AMERICAN HEROES CHANNEL HONORS THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE MILITARY WITH NEW WEEKLY PROGRAMMING BLOCK SALUTE TO SACRIFICE
—AHC Partners with Nation’s Top Military-Focused Organizations Including American Legion, Bob Woodruff Foundation, Got Your Six, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Team Rubicon USO,
and Veterans of Foreign Wars—
—SALUTE TO SACRIFICE Airs Sunday Mornings from 9am ET to 12pm ET Starting Sunday, May 24—
(Silver Spring, Md.) — American Heroes Channel (AHC) announced today the launch of SALUTE TO SACRIFICE, an all-new Sunday morning programming block designed to celebrate our nation’s veterans, and the brave men and women of the armed forces. A multi-platform collaboration with The American Legion, the Bob Woodruff Foundation, Got Your Six, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the Team Rubicon, USO, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), AHC’s SALUTE TO SACRIFICE is dedicated to honoring the heroes who selflessly defend our freedom, while creating a national dialogue for issues veterans and active duty troops face each day through on-air and online resources.
“AHC is honored to partner with some of the nation’s top military organizations to pay tribute to heroes everywhere,” said Kevin Bennett, Executive Vice President and General Manager, American Heroes Channel. “It is our hope that SALUTE TO SACRIFICE will not only honor those who served for their distinguished courage and selflessness, but will also provide viewers resources from our partner organizations to bring military issues for both current active duty service members, as well as veterans, to the forefront.”
With the support of its new partners, AHC and its viewers salute the armed forces each Sunday morning in an exclusive SALUTE TO SACRIFICE programming block, beginning Memorial Day weekend. Each Sunday from 9am ET to 12pm ET, SALUTE TO SACRIFICE features some of the most heroic stories from AHC, while also highlighting the incredible work of each partner organization through a series of interstitials, PSAs and online resources. SALUTE TO SACRIFICE kicks off on Sunday, May 24 at 9am ET with a salute to The American Legion's service to veterans, service members and military families through AHC’s award-winning series, AGAINST THE ODDS. Programming highlights for May 24th include:
AGAINST THE ODDS: The Heroes of Tarawa Encores Sunday, May 24 at 9am ET Everything went wrong in America’s first test of whether the Japanese-held islands of the Pacific could be captured by across-the-beach infantry assaults. But, the march back from Pearl Harbor had to begin and the testing ground would be heavily fortified Tarawa – which a Japanese commander proclaimed to his emperor that, “Tarawa could not be taken by a million men in a million years.”
AGAINST THE ODDS: The Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill Encores Sunday, May 24 at 10am ET Taking an otherwise nondescript hill on the embattled island of Okinawa proved to be one of the most incredible battles of WWII. The young weary marines of Charlie Company strained against the searing Pacific sun to see the top of Sugar Loaf Hill.
AGAINST THE ODDS: Those Damned Engineers Encores Sunday, May 24 at 11am ET In December of 1944, the seemingly defeated Germans secretly mustered 600,000 battle-hardened troops into an all-out offensive to capture Antwerp, the heart of the Allied supply chain. But thanks to those “Damned Engineers,” the Germans never get to Antwerp.
Additional information about the initiative and partners for SALUTE TO SACRIFICE can be found at http://www.ahctv.com/sacrifice.
About Our Partners
With a current membership of 2.3-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through nearly 13,500 posts across the nation.
The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) is the nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that post-9/11 injured service members, veterans and their families thrive long after they return home. A national organization with grassroots reach, the Bob Woodruff Foundation complements the work of the federal government—diligently navigating the maze of more than 46,000 nonprofits providing services to veterans—to find, fund and shape innovative programs and hold them accountable for results. To date, BWF has invested more than $25 million in solutions, reaching more than 2 million service members, support personnel, veterans and their families. The Bob Woodruff Foundation was co-founded in 2006 by award-winning ABC news anchor Bob Woodruff and his family, whose experiences inspired them to help make sure the nation’s heroes have access to the highest level of support and resources they deserve, for as long as they need them. For more information about the Bob Woodruff Foundation, visit bobwoodrufffoundation.org.
Got Your 6 is a campaign that unites nonprofit, Hollywood, and government partners. Got Your 6 believes that veterans are leaders, team builders, and problem-solvers who have the unique potential to strengthen communities across the country. As a coalition, Got Your 6 works to integrate these perspectives into popular culture, engage veterans and civilians together to foster understanding, and empower veterans to lead in their communities. Since 2013, Got Your 6 has distributed grants totaling more than $4 million to a dozen veteran-focused non-profit partners. For more information visit www.gotyour6.org. Be the Change, Inc., an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, is the organizing body and fiscal sponsor of Got Your 6.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the leading post-9/11 veteran empowerment organization (VEO) with the most diverse and rapidly growing membership in America. Celebrating its 10th year anniversary, IAVA has repeatedly received the highest rating - four-stars - from Charity Navigator, America's largest charity evaluator.
Team Rubicon (TR) unites the skills and experience of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. TR offers veterans a chance to continue their service by helping and empowering those afflicted by disasters, and also themselves. For more about Team Rubicon, visit www.teamrubiconusa.org.
The USO lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors, troops in transition and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff. In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, BNSF Railway, Clark Construction Group, LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, JCPenney, Jeep, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, Northrop Grumman Corporation and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, BIC, The Boeing Company, ConAgra Foods, FedEx, GEICO, Harris Teeter, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Procter & Gamble, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG and Wawa Inc. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is a nonprofit veterans service organization comprised of veterans and eligible military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is the nation's largest organization of war veterans and its oldest major veterans organization. With nearly 1.9 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in more than 6,800 Posts worldwide, “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS.” The VFW and its Auxiliaries are dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs.
About American Heroes Channel
American Heroes Channel (AHC) is a network from Discovery Communications that tells timeless stories in which a challenge appears – be it a situation or a villain – and a hero arises. Currently in 60 million homes, AHC provides a rare glimpse into major events that shaped our world, visionary leaders and unexpected heroes who made a difference, and the great defenders of our freedom. For more information, please visit AHCtv.com, facebook.com/AHCtelevision, or Twitter.com/AHC_TV. American Heroes Channel is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world’s #1 pay-tv programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories.
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CONTACTS: Reenie Kuhlman, 240-463-5068, Reenie_Kuhlman@discovery.com
Allie Baker, 240-662-5887, Allison_Baker@discovery.com