PAIR OF PATRIOTIC UNVEILINGS

09/23/08
Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – Efforts of the Freedom Bridge Foundation took a giant step forward Monday evening as a pair of events brought attention to the project and the people it honors.
More than 150 people were on hand for the national debut of Who Will Stand, a documentary showing the struggles of a dozen soldiers who have returned from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars with either physical or psychological wounds. “This was a powerful film that shows how important it is to support our fighting men and women,” said Gary Meyers, Freedom Bridge Foundation Chair, who organized the debut. “These people need more than bumper stickers and rallies, they need true help, and we mustn’t let them down,” he said.

Phil Valentine, the film’s director and producer said research into what soldiers deal with when returning from battle made him feel compelled to do this movie. “When we started to interview soldiers, we found that the percentage of those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was much higher than what the military and VA (Us Department of Veterans Affairs) was rating. They have a rating of 11 to 18 percent, but we couldn’t find a nongovernmental therapist or doctor or soldier who came close to that number,” he said, “So when we found out that we’ve been hearing in the media isn’t the same story we were being told by the soldiers and their families, we came interesting in doing a documentary that would tell their story without any sort of spin,” he said.

According to Valentine, the movie had a very dramatic effect on the people who watched it. “It was all overwhelming. I’ve never been to a screening where people who watch the film hugged me. I’ve been to screenings were people shake your hand and say they like the movie, but people had tears in their eyes and actually hugged us. That was unexpected,” he said.

While the first event was a somber acknowledgement of the sacrifices soldiers make, the second event Monday evening was more of a celebration of their life and the freedom’s they protect as Barley Brothers’ Brewery unveiled its Freedom Brick Amber Lager. Described as a lighter type of red ale, it drew rave reviews from the crowd.

“The people absolutely loved it,” Meyers said. “They were going back for seconds and thirds at the unveiling. It was very well received.”
The ale is described as a “[C]lassic long term cold conditioned amber lager with a very smooth, refined finish,” according to Dena Weatherson, Barley Brothers General Manager. “We tried to make something that would be enjoyed by all beer drinkers,” she said.

A percentage of the revenue from each beer sold will also go to the Freedom Bridge Project. “Obviously from a community standpoint, it’s a natural to have a tie in with the second bridge, to show support and enthusiasm,” said Thom Felke, who is the General Manager for the Shugrue’s family of restaurants, including Barley Brothers. “We absolutely wanted to jump in head first and give to the cause. If we can get on board and support it any way we can, that’s the way to do it.”

The two events lead up to the Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride, which will be in Lake Havasu City Wednesday morning. A special ceremony welcoming the soldiers and seeing them off on their 25 mile ride through the city starts at 8:00 am beneath the London Bridge on the mainland side. The event will include a mayoral proclamation, speech from Arizona Speaker of the House of Representatives Jim Weiers and a ceremony dedicating the first segment of the Memorial Walkway to the soldiers taking part in the ride. The public is asked to attend.