Coast Guard Foundation to hold annual tribute to 8th District

The following is a news release from the Coast Guard Foundation:

(STONINGTON, Conn.) — The Coast Guard Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced Tuesday that its 25th annual Tribute to the 8th Coast Guard District will be held at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, La., on Friday, March 2. At the event, the foundation will recognize the Coast Guard’s response to Hurricane Harvey.

The event will feature an address by Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul F. Zukunft. Rear Adm. Paul Thomas, commander of the 8th Coast Guard District, will also be in attendance. The master of ceremonies will be Reggie Rivers, broadcaster, motivational speaker and former NFL running back who played six seasons with the Denver Broncos.

“Since the event’s inception in 1994, we have raised over $9 million for the benefit of the men and women of the United States Coast Guard,” said Susan Ludwig, president, Coast Guard Foundation. “The members of the 8th District are often some of the first to be called when natural disasters strike. They go willingly and act with the utmost professionalism, even when many of their families are impacted by these same tragedies. We are humbled to recognize these brave individuals.”

During this year’s tribute, the foundation will acknowledge the community’s 25-year steadfast support of this event honoring these Coast Guard heroes. With the help of the community, the foundation provides scholarship and morale programs for local service members and their families, as well as those stationed across the country. In addition, the Foundation’s disaster relief program has provided more than $1.6 million to Coast Guard members impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Louisiana floods in 2016, and most recently, the three hurricanes that struck Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico in 2017.

The Coast Guard Foundation’s Tribute to the 8th Coast Guard District will be held at the National World War II Museum, 945 Magazine St., New Orleans. A cocktail reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. with dinner and the program following at 7:30 p.m.

For more information on the Coast Guard Foundation or its scholarship programs, visit www.coastguardfoundation.org or call (860) 535-0786.

By Professional Mariner Staff