This November, Veterans Inc. will be holding its annual Freedom Song Festival with a new feature: a video game tournament. The non-profit’s Post 9/11 branch wants to reach out to younger veterans, and with backing from the Call of Duty Endowment (CODE), the team will be hosting a competition on the long-awaited Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
The Freedom Song Festival will begin with a 5K walk to support US veterans, followed by a concert featuring local artists like Smith & Ryder, and The Hip Swayers. Vendors will be present at the event, and businesses can currently apply for a space at the Veterans Inc. event page.
Due to the game’s graphic content, only players who are 17 or older can participate in the tournament. There is a $10 entry fee for civilians, but service members who present their Military ID (or veterans who show their DD214) play for free! The gaming tournament will have a variety of prizes for the winners, including game controllers, copies of Infinite Warfare, and even one of Stack-Up’s amazing game cases!
“This isn’t the first time the [tournament] idea’s been thrown around,” says Troy Brin, Veterans Inc.’s Manager of Outreach and Strategic Partnership, “but it’s the first time we’ve found the resources to hold one.” Brin and his colleagues in the Post 9/11 team have recently become grantees of Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty Endowment, which allows them to provide some magnificent services to help young veterans find jobs after their service. As veterans of the War on Terror and former clients of CODE themselves, Troy and the Post 9/11 team recognize that the best way to reach millennial veterans is through their common interests. As Brin says, “healing begins when you put two veterans in a room.”
The festival will take place outside Veterans Inc.’s main office: 69 Grove Street, Worcester MA. While the Festival itself is an all-day event, the 5K has a strict 9:00 am starting time. Register ahead of time if you don’t want to miss it!
To learn more about Veterans Inc. and the Post 9/11 Program, visit their Veterans Support webpage.
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