Jack, who’s a member of the Army, didn’t have much information about what to expect Thursday night.
He knew he was volunteered to go to Fogo de Chao in Tyson’s, and he knew it would be a watch party of sorts for the first NFL game of the season.
However, when he arrived, it became clear that the Military Bowl Foundation’s annual “Home of the Free … Because of Brave” dinner was more than just an ordinary event to bring sports fans together. He, and dozens of others in the military, didn’t have to pay for their meals, and had the opportunity to leave with new connections and appreciation.
“This is insane,” Jack said. “I’ve never had something like this happen to me.“
Thursday’s dinner was the 20th of its kind. It provides service members and their guests a night out, while giving community members an opportunity to show their gratitude.
Some of the service members came from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.
“We just want to give them a nice night out,” said Steve Beck, Military Bowl Foundation’s president and executive director. “A lot of these people are just stuck in the hospital with four walls around them, get them a nice night out and show them that people are here to support them.”
The event also serves as a fundraiser for Patriot Point, a retreat center for wounded, ill and injured service members and their families and caregivers, Beck said.
Paul Norman, who hosted the event, said friendships, mentorships and jobs result from the annual dinner.
It wasn’t designed to be a fundraiser, but instead a chance to have “everybody share the cost and host a service member or a portion of their meal and personally express their appreciation,” Norman said.
About 300 people attended the event, including Steve Aylor, who said it “supports the wounded warriors that come and their families and significant others.”
Matt, who is also a member of the Army, said he and the other service members got the chance to represent their colleagues who weren’t in attendance.
“It’s really cool,” he said. “They kind of put us on a pedestal, but honestly, we’re doing our job that millions of Americans have done every single day. So we get to be here and reap the benefits of that.”
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