Coast Guard Foundation salutes members of Coast Guard at annual dinner

by Coast Guard Foundation on 30 Sep 2017 The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that its 2017 Salute to the United States Coast Guard will take place at the Marriott Marquis in New York City on October 5, 2017.

At the event, the Coast Guard Foundation will honor United States Coast Guard heroism and mission excellence with two awards, and acknowledge the response and rescue efforts of the service during the last three weeks of hurricane activity in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The Foundation will recognize Benjamin G. Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards for his long-time support; and recognition of the Coast Guard Auxiliary will be the centerpiece of the evening.

The United States Coast Guard Band and the Coast Guard Academy Glee Club from New London, Connecticut will perform during the evening’s event. Attendees will be industry and public officials, including the Vice-Commandant, senior officials, officers and enlisted members of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The Foundation will honor Patti and Robert Brody fromthe Coast Guard Auxiliary, Sector Buffalo, for their brave actions on July 4, 2016 in the rescue of a boat crew near Rochester, New York. The Brody’s are also being recognized for their many years of support to the Coast Guard through their volunteer roles as Coast Guard Auxiliary members.

The evening will also continue on the tradition of paying tribute to outstanding members of the Coast Guard who have selflessly risked their lives to save others. The Foundation will honor BM1 Walter Kendall for his heroic actions in July of last year when he rescued six people trapped inside a sinking 27-foot boat on Presque Isle Bay, Pennsylvania.

“The men and women of the Coast Guard are on-call 24-hours aday,”said Susan Ludwig, president, Coast Guard Foundation. “The tireless dedication of these individuals and the volunteers of the Coast Guard Auxiliaryrarely receives recognition and we are humbled to be able to honor them this evening.”

The husband-wife duo Craig Melvin, NBCand Lindsay Czarniak, ESPNwill co-host the evening. Admiral Charles Michel, Vice-Commandant and VADMCharles Ray, Deputy Commandant for Operations, will deliver remarks, while Admiral Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard, willappear via video.

The Coast Guard Foundation’s Salute to the United States Coast Guard will be held on Thursday, October 5, 2017 at the Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, New York City, New York. A cocktail reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. with dinner and the program following at 7:30 p.m.