Donnie Edwards Best Defense Foundation

The foundation provided 30 wwii veterans a return to their battlefield at normandy for the 78th anniversary of d-day with 45 younger veterans serving as caretakers. The veterans are honored for their sacrifice by those they helped liberate and visit local schools to speak with students about the cost of freedom. The foundation sponsored 12 new special force operators with a five day retreat in partnership with former nfl players in the mountains of utah to focus on mental health and physical recovery. Mental health professionals provide our transitioning veterans information on the networks supporting them and assess each one based on their specific needs for assistance. The foundation's education initiative provided virtual meetings with wwii veterans and students across the country. The 'our history live'program teaches students about wwii and they can speak with a wwii veteran. This program reached over 2,000 students internationally and here in the united states. The program created short docuseries and vignettes that preserve the legacies. Also we provide opportunities for veterans of all generations to attend mlb games, nfl and collegiate games, red carpet premiere of 'the terminal list- and additional outings to connect with fellow veterans.