Hiring Our Heroes has announced it is partnering with award-winning rock band KISS and the Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix) to salute military heroes across the country as part of the KISS 2016 “Freedom to Rock” tour.
KISS will hire a military veteran or currently serving member of the national guard or reserve force to be a “Roadie for the Day” for each of the more than 30 U.S. concerts. In addition, KISS will donate a limited number of tickets to veterans in each community and distribute those tickets through VetTix.org.
The U.S. “KISS: Freedom to Rock” tour stops are all home to a large number of Army and Air National Guard or Army, Navy, Air Force and Reserve members. Since September 2001, hundreds of thousands of Guards and Reserve members have been recalled to active duty, and many have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and nearly 900 of these brave men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice.
“Our military heroes are called upon sometimes at a moment’s notice to deploy into harm’s way, and they drop everything to respond. It’s fitting to honor these men and women in their hometowns as part of the ‘Freedom to Rock’ tour,” said Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes and vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
KISS founder Paul Stanley said, “KISS is celebrating our ‘Freedom To Rock’ tour this summer; the same freedom that’s been upheld by our veterans and active duty service members.”
“We are proud to partner with HOH and Vet Tix to highlight the incredible commitment and sacrifices of hometown heroes serving in the National Guard and Reserve forces,” said KISS mastermind Gene Simmons. “Many of these heroes have given a lot — and some have given all — and we will honor them in every town we tour.”
“Getting the opportunity to partner with Hall of Fame rockers is an amazing opportunity,” said Mike Focareto, CEO of Vet Tix. “KISS fans get much more than live music and a pyrotechnics show; they get a chance to create unforgettable memories with their family and friends. We’re excited to make this experience possible to our Vet Tix family.”
About KISS
As America’s #1 Gold Record Award winning group of all time, and that’s in every category, KISS can easily be named one of rock’s most influential bands. The Rock N Roll Hall of Famers have released 44 albums and sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. Honored by their peers, KISS received the illustrious ASCAP Founders Award in 2015. Over 40 years of record-breaking global tours have brought KISS to their fans. KISS is dedicated to numerous Veterans Organizations including: Vet Tix, The Wounded Warriors Project, The USO, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce “Hiring Our Heroes” program, The Legacy Organization in Australia, Help For Heroes United Kingdom and The Dr. Pepper Snapple Groups Wounded Warriors Support Foundations. For more information, visit www.KissOnline.com
About Vet Tix
Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation supporting our military community. Vet Tix has provided over 2 million free event tickets to currently serving military, veterans and family members of those killed in action to sporting events, concerts, performing arts and family activities. Our military and veterans experience many difficult transitions as they reintegrate into their families, communities, and eventually, into civilian life.
About Hiring Our Heroes
Hiring Our Heroes is a nationwide initiative to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment. Working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vast network of state and local chambers and other strategic partners, Hiring Our Heroes has helped hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment through more than 1,000 job fairs in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and on military installations overseas; a suite of free online resources; and the Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness and educating the public on how the free enterprise system improves society and the economy.
