“Home for a Hero” Concert Won’t be soon Forgotten

By DALE GRAHAM
We did it! We ALL did it! We took an idea, made it a reality, and pulled it off in a magnificent manner. Of course, it wasn’t quite that simple, but that’s the short version. And now … I’m supposed to find a way to describe it to those of you who for one reason or another, weren’t able to be there.

The trouble is that for most of us who were there last night, (the S. C. Advocate goes to press on Wednesday, the morning after the concert), it was a very late night. For some of us it was just another very late night in a list of recent late nights. That means that as much as I would like to write a great story about the show and give you all the final numbers on how much money was made, and then finally give Patze and Roddy Fischer and their family all the praise and recognition they deserve for an amazing effort, its just not possible today. I’m exhausted, the information I need isn’t yet available, and the Leaf-Chronicle who prints our paper, will soon be tapping their collective toes waiting for me to send them the paper.

So I’m just going to do my best and give you all the pictures that I can this week as well, and then follow up next week with more info about the concert and the upcoming build. Unfortunately after it got dark our pictures are not suitable for printing. In an effort to keep field damage from costing the event money, most print media was not allowed on the field. We expect to get more pictures as the week goes on and we’ll run what we can next week.
“Home for a Hero” was a concert to rival any concert. The stage saw one incredible star after another, playing major hits to an adoring crowd. Estimates had the crowd at something around 5,000, and they all came to party. The heat was on, but the rain clouds that floated around yet never opened up on the event kept a steady breeze rolling through Greer Stadium. The stage was ready, the jumbo-tron was ready, the sound and lights were amazing, and Sgt. Kevin Downs finally got the chance to see for himself that efforts to help him come home and live a “normal” life, are not just lip service by well meaning friends. The concert became a reality, the home will become a reality, and Kevin can once again become a contributing member of a community that wants him to come home.

And we’re not the only ones. In walking around at the event, it was clear that Kingston Springs, Pegram and lots of Cheatham County were well represented in the stands. There were also fans from all over Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia, as well as places like Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, New Jersey!
What a party!

As I said, we don’t have a final number as of today, but I’m sure some of you have heard on the television news, (they all were there to cover the event), that a check for $25,000 was placed in one of the traveling donation buckets, along with many cash dollars that are also greatly appreciated and add up fast. On top of that, most if not all Greer Stadium employees signed in and then out, working all night but not on the clock, that was their donation. So many things were donated, including the time and efforts of so many people.

The military came out in force to support and put on the “Heavy Metal” show in the parking lot of the stadium.
And here are my new musical heroes: Charlie Daniels (ok, I lied, he’s been one of my heroes since the first time I heard him yell ‘Ain’t it great to be alive and be in Tennessee’), Lonestar (amazing: if they hadn’t said yes, who knows what would have happened), local resident Craig Morgan, Joe Diffie, Collin Raye, John Berry, David Lee Murphy, Paulette Carlson, Jamie Lee Thurston and singing female duo Bomshel (insert WOW! after each of those names). They blew us all away. Another local resident, Storme Warren from GAC TV was fun, respectful, and the perfect emcee for the event.

Kevin, Catherine, Joe and friends were even able to stay up on the stage side while Lonestar rocked the house. I can’t even imagine what was going through his mind. As of Wednesday morning, Joe and Catherine were incredibly grateful, Kevin was thankfully, sound asleep.

Patze left a voice mail at nearly 1a.m., worried that Adair Schippers and her food volunteers hadn’t been thanked at all, and certainly not enough. She was still worrying, trying to remember who else was being forgotten. Please know, if you lifted a finger to help pull of this event, including buying a ticket, or making a donation, you are greatly appreciated.

And please remember that we’re not finished. We’re just getting started. Kevin will return to BAMC soon, and we have work to do.

If you want to contribute or volunteer on the house, contact the Advocate at SCAdvocate@aol.com, or call us at 615-952-5554.

Must finish this paper, and sleep. More next week.
Sponsors include the Nashville Sounds; Comcast Spotlight; Clear Channel Communications, Inc.; GX Magazine; Diamond Gusset Jeans; County Q Productions; Southwest Airlines; Clair Brothers Audio; Bandit Lites; Concert Staging; I-MAG Video; Peavey Electronics Corporation; Gish, Sherwood & Friends; MindReactor; Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis; the South Cheatham Advocate; Kroger; Cracker Barrel; Heritage Bank; Prime Trust Bank; Community Bank and Trust; Copley Guitars and the Westview.

Roddy Fischer, left, sending out his volunteers.	Kevin surrounded by some of his most trusted brothers, including Major Spradlin (right), who was first to get to Kevin that day in August ‘05 and probably saved his life.
	Patze Fischer, (left), coordinating and other volunteers before the music started.
Right David Davidson and Charlie Daniels Left Pegram Commissioner David Davidson and friends presented Kevin and “Home for a Hero” with a check for $5000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
The stadium is prepared.	National Anthem
Charlie Daniels, a true Tennessee treasure.
John Berry	Energetic Bomshel, fabulous.
Father and son take it all in together.	The wonderful supporters of this event!
	Some of the smaller supporters
	Kevin eloquently thanked everyone for their support and prayers, and the crowd thanked him back.
John Berry, what a voice, what a smile.	What can you say besides, “WOW”, and “Thank you!”
	Nice Bike
I am out of words to describe these guys. Lonestar, what a group of talented, energetic, gifted, generous, supportive, fun, handsome ...		Photograph by Tom Salter

Please check out the concert photo gallery on the home for a hero site or
watch a slideshow to learn more about kevin.

Kevin Downs Update
Downs Returns to Texas After Having a “Blast” at Home for a Hero

Kevin Downs Update
Downs Returns to Texas After Having a “Blast” at Home for a Hero
By DALE GRAHAM

The concert that was just a dream for so many months is a wonderful memory now. Especially for Sgt. Kevin Downs. I was lucky enough to have lunch with Kevin, Joe and Catherine this week before Kevin headed back to Texas. “Did you have fun at the concert?” I asked him. “It was a blast” he said with that huge smile on his face.

I want all of you to know that your support, the concert and this visit home have changed him, and are healing him. I sat next to Kevin on Monday, (eating chips and cheese sauce of course, his favorites), and I was amazed at the difference in the shy young man I used to talk with. He’s confident, articulate, handsome and healing, and planning to begin a wonderful new life in his home town, his new home built by people who love him. He gets around like a champ in his fancy wheelchair, beating Joe to the counter when it was time to pay the check, only to find out that an anonymous restaurant patron had already picked up the tab for all of us, (so generous, thank you).

The numbers right now say that the concert made approximately $100,000 unbelievable dollars, and lots of contacts and supporters. We at the S. C. Advocate have been overwhelmed with offers of donations of labor and supplies. It’s all very exciting and heartwarming.

I’m really going to miss him this time. I so enjoyed watching him talk and laugh and visit. In August this journey with Kevin will be 2 years old, so it makes sense that we are all attached, but to see prayers answered right before your eyes is a miracle. Kevin has surgeries to deal with when he gets back, he also gets to learn how to drive his SUV once the computer stuff is all installed so there will be some more fun in his immediate future.

This week is gratitude time though, and I want to begin with Patze Fischer and her family. I asked for someone in the community to step up and put on a concert to help us raise the money for his house. That’s exactly what she did and I can’t thank her enough

But now I want to let her thank everyone who stepped up to help her, and I also want to show you all a bunch of pictures. The pictures will be scattered throughout any place in the paper where we have space, so just keep looking. Also, there will be a couple of stories with interviews coming up on tv, see the insert at left for times and dates.

This entire Kingston Springs family gave their all to pull off the “Home for Hero” concert. Patze Fischer, 5 year old Melissa Grace, 7 year old Daniel, and patient, patient husband Roddy.

Here is Patze’s list:
PROVIDED FOOD and/or DRINKS FOR THE CREW & PRE-SHOW MEDIA PARTY
MacK & Kate's of Kingston Springs, Purity Dairies, Publix of Bellevue, Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q, Arby's of Kingston Springs, Hog Heaven of White Bluff, Sargent's Fine Catering, B & B Gatherings, Mapco of Kingston Spring, Walmart of Ashland City

And the donors of merchandise for the goody bags for the talent:
Birdsong Marina & Resort, Camden Kentucky Lake, TN - Tennessee State Parks - Cheatham County, TN - Kingston Springs, TN - Heritage Bank Kentucky - Community Bank & Trust - Cheatham County Chamber of Commerce - GX Magazine (cash sponsor) - Nashville Wire (cash sponsor) - Diamond Gusset Jeans (in-kind major national & local advertising sponsor) - TN National Guard for providing the military hardware - 98 WSIX (in-kind advertising sponsor) - Local IBEW (cash donor and help setting up stage) - Gish Sherwood and Friends (Public Relations & Media coordination) - Mindreactor (website building & hosting) - Comcast Spotlight (in-kind advertising sponsor) - Nashville Sounds (in-kind venue sponsor) - Southwest Airlines (in-kind auction item sponsor) - Waller Lansden - Dortch & Davis, LLP - Budweiser & Monster Energy Drinks (in-kind drink sponsor) - County Q Productions (in-kind production sponsor) - Copley Guitars (in-kind auction item sponsor, Home For A Hero lasered logo and autographed guitar) - Charlie Daniels (in-kind auction item sponsor, signed golden fiddle) - Aaron Tippin (in-kind auction item sponsor, signed Ovation guitar) - Cracker Barrel (in-kind auction item sponsor) - Kroger (in-kind drink sponsor) - Papa John's (in-kind food sponsor) - Peavey (in-kind production sponsor) - Bandit Lites (in-kind production sponsor) - I-Mag Video (in-kind production sponsor) - Clair Brothers (in-kind production sponsor)
Lamar Outdoor Advertising (in-kind advertising sponsor) - Concert Staging (in-kind production sponsor)
Gilley's Screenprinting (in-kind sponsor) - Prime Trust Bank (cash sponsor) - Community Bank & Trust (cash sponsor) - Heritage Bank (cash sponsor) - South Cheatham Advocate & the Westview (in-kind advertising sponsor)
Rock Solid Security for overnight security - Kingston Springs, Cheatham County, & Ashland City Police departments for event security - Sunbelt Rentals (in-kind discount)

House Band:
Paul Scholten, Mike Brignardello, JT Corenflos, Mike Durham, Barry Walsh, Gary Smith, Gary Morse, Larry Franklin, Thom Flora, Marty Slayton

Personal Thanks: (in no particular order)

• First of all, a HUGE thanks to everyone who showed their support just by showing up. You guys are right up there on the MVP list for the night!

• Tabitha Pittman with Gish Sherwood for working tirelessly on press releases and media coordination and pulling off a killer media pre-show party.

• Derek Hollis with Mindreactor for building and keeping updated our beautiful website.

• Drew Pope with Gish Sherwood for designing the perfect logo and awesome posters.

• LTC Hensley for more than can be briefly stated here. You know how much I respect and admire you for so many things. Thank you for your unshaking support and help above and beyond the call. I started out intimidated by this Colonel I met and leave calling you a dear friend.

• Lonestar, for stepping up to the unknown when there was only a cause they believed in and no reason in the world to trust that I could pull off a major event my first time out. You are so gracious and kind, and gratefully, just a little crazy!

• To all of our artists, virtually all of whom signed up months before there was any press, any website, or anything else to give them a reason to think they were signing on to what would be a successful show. There were no questions about crowd size, or money, or anything else. They just wanted to be a part of something great, and it wouldn't take a commercial success to equal something "great" in their book. The cause was enough reason and I thank each of them for sticking their necks and reputations on the line.

• All of my angels from the TN National Guard. You know who you are. I'm so glad you guys are out there looking out for the rest of us. We couldn't be in better hands.

• Adair Schippers for pulling together the incredible feat of feeding so many folks in such a short time and pulling off great gift bags for our artists. Without you and your diligence, we would all have surely starved!

• Dale Graham for constant encouragement and help with the auction and so much more.

• Georgeann Dingus with Southwest Airlines for going the extra mile to help us.

• Mark Chamberlain, Lonestar's road manager, for helping make sure everything went smoothly for everyone.

• Jessica and Larry Repasky for help in volunteering.

• All of my work associates from County Q for volunteering in such a huge way.

• Lori Hilliard and her crew for all the help in Ashland City and beyond.


• Diana Pike for being so willing and working so hard in so many ways before, during and after.

• Wanda Hooper for helping at the show selling our merchandise.

• All of our volunteers, especially the ones I never even met, that just showed up to help. Thank you!

• Allison Arnold for seeing an email and stepping forward to volunteer Comcast advertising. Also her family for volunteering.

• Daniel Wyatt, Candace Price, all the DJ's and hosts and everyone at WSIX & Clear Channel Communications for working so hard to give us the push we needed.

• Storme Warren for asking to emcee an event 6 months in advance when he didn't even know what he was signing up for, he just knew about Kevin and wanted to be there. Both entertaining and sensitive to the cause, you were the best!

• Greg Morton, Lonestar's production manager, for enduring my lack of experience and for ensuring a class act production. You were the reason everything looked and sounded so great.

• Sam, from Concert Staging, for being so patient and going the extra mile to help us with our staging crew.

• Heather Allen and everyone at GX for going above and beyond before and during the show.

• My wonderful volunteer policemen who did so much more than just keep our show a safe place to be for everyone. I love my fab 4!

• David Hall with Diamond Gussett Jeans for putting himself out there both professionally and personally in leaving no stone unturned in ensuring a successful event.

• Paul Scholten from County Q, the man whom I've worked for the past 15 years, for giving up so much of my time and his own from the studio business and allowing me to put on this concert and helping so much behind the scenes with our band production, artist coordination, and overall bankrolling most of this event so the show could go on.

• Bob "Bulldog" Ousley, with TN Rolling Thunder Chapter 1, Gabby and Danny, and all the members that single handedly hung probably 1,000 posters, put together a great escort for Kevin, and showed up in a pinch to help us set up our stage when things weren't looking good.

• IBEW local volunteers that came out to help us set up our staging. Thank you for being there and working so hard. You were greatly needed and appreciated.

• Jana at the Butler Insurance company for being so patient and helpful in making sure we had everything in place on time.

• Craig Hentrich and Rob Bironas from the TN Titans for signing autographs and helping put together the Titans training camp auction package.

• The ushers at the Nashville Sounds for enduring the drone of mine and my husband's voices passing out fliers next to them for 3 hrs at at least a dozen ballgames before the event. Thank you for making the monotonous bearable with your kindness and support. I know many of you donated your paychecks the night of our event, too. You are awesome!

• To Community Bank & Trust and Heritage Banks for help in selling magnets and tickets.

• WTN - Phil Valentine, Michael DelGiorno, producers and directors, for getting behind us in every way possible.

• G. Gordon Liddy for all of his support.

• Charlie Daniels for doing sooo much press for us.

• WKDF & all the other radio stations that chose to support us for no reason other than their sheer desire to help.

• All 4 local TV stations, CMT, GAC, CNN and all the magazines and newspapers and all the journalists for giving Kevin and Home For A Hero such considerate, respectful, and effective coverage both leading up to and including the show. Thank you for doing such a tremendous job in beautifully covering what turned out to be a historical and magical event.

• The Reese family, for despite their own loss, have never wavered in their support of Kevin. With all my heart, I thank you for your sacrifice and indescribable courage.

• Thank you to everyone that donated a little or lot, it is all greatly needed and appreciated.

• My husband, Roddy, without whom I would surely have collapsed into a heap of tears from which I could not recover over and over again. All the fliers passed out, fans made, magnets sold one at a time, sooo much running around and just keeping me on track. I love you and could not have done this without you there with me.

• My Mom for basically raising my kids for at least the better part of the last month and even before. For the sacrifice it took watching us stop building your own greatly needed home in order to allow us to help Kevin with his. You are my example of how to care and commit to something important. I love you and thank you.

• My sister, Laurie, for all the extra childcare and just plain missing out on sister time with me. I missed hanging out with you.

• My two kids, Daniel (7) and Melissa Grace (5), I love you so much it hurts. I've missed our cuddle time and just being a family time so much you'll never know. Thank you for using your little hands and little voices to help in big ways. I love you both.

• Thanks be to God for keeping his promise to be faithful. With every giant door that was slammed with a resounding "boom", there was the quiet creak of a door opening just beyond that would always provide a new path. You do not promise us success as we would recognize it on this earth in order for You to still be glorified, but you promise to carry us through, regardless. In this case, You chose a very visible and tangible success with Your fingerprints all over it. All glory in this belongs to You.

• The Downs family and Kevin for all of their help before and during the show, for their patience in all of the media requests, and for being such great people all around. I had never met you before this all started and am glad to have gone through it all, if for nothing else, than the privilege to call you friends. Kevin, you are an inspiration to everyone you meet and even thousands more you will never meet.

When I invented "Home For A Hero" last Fall, I should say that although inspired by Kevin, the Hero in my heart never referred to him alone. Everyone who wears or has ever worn the uniform is a hero to me. You go when you are called, whether domestically or internationally, you are at the service of your country. Some of you may never see a battle, while some of you may never be the same for your experience or even may never come home to your families. Either way, you are my heroes for being willing to take your stand, when called, in defense of our great nation and our very way of life. Your families are deserving of honor, as well, for without their love and support, you would not be the strong individuals that you are. They sacrifice their time with you so that we can enjoy our own families. My hope, Kevin's hope, and everyone involved in this event's hope, would be that the Armed Forces and their families - our fallen, our wounded, and our serving - past and present, would feel uplifted and honored for their precious gift to our nation. We are so deeply grateful to you all.

To everyone I've neglected to mention or who have asked to remain anonymous, please know how grateful we are to all of you for your unique contributions.

Patze Fischer

Please check out the concert photo gallery on the home for a hero site or
watch a slideshow to learn more about kevin.