Randall Reed’s Planet Ford in Humble is proud to be an ongoing supporter and the Runway Sponsor at The 3rd annual Boots & Suits Gala held June 1, 2019, at The Woodlands Resort.
The Miss Boots For Troops Combat Boot Runway Show featured five beautiful women who modeled the combat boots on the runway as part of a live auction which raised $27,700 to help our military men and women. Mind you, these models were not showcasing regular combat boots, these boots have a very personal story to tell about their experiences in combat.
The organization collected five pairs of worn combat boots from United States service members. Among the donated boots, one pair was from U.S. Congressmen (TX) Dan Crenshaw who donated a pair of his Navy SEAL worn combat boots. Another set of boots was donated from retired Army Captain Chad Fleming. Captain Fleming has been deployed overseas six times with the U.S. Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has been wounded in combat on three separate occasions and has undergone 23 surgeries, one of which resulted in a trans-tibial amputation of his left leg. While most would assume this type of injury would conclude someone’s service to their country. Captain Fleming has re-deployed five times since his injuries, each time going right back into the fight. He is one of the few amputees who have been able to redeploy into combat as an amputee.
Major Scott Huesing donated a pair of combat boots as well. He is retired USMC Infantry Major with 24 years of service, both enlisted and as a commissioned officer. His career spanned 10 deployments in over 60 countries. During his numerous deployments, he conducted hundreds of combat. He is also a bestselling author, public speaker and media contributor who has written for Fox News Channel, Entercom, The Marine Corps Gazette, Military Times, Townhall, and the Daily Signal.
As the ladies showcase the boots, the story behind the boots unfolded and the auction opened up to the highest bidder. The winner received the precious boots in a custom-made shadow box that also featured the story behind the boots so it could be displayed in their home or office allowing the story and history to live on. “Boots for Troops and this event are so important not only in helping raise funds, but raise awareness about ways we can help our armed forces,” said John Centner, general manager of Randall Reed’s Planet Ford in Humble, Texas. “We are thankful and honored be an ongoing supporter of Boots for Troops and the Runway Sponsor of this event.”
The black-tie gala featured many heart-warming moments, including a special gift for WWII Veteran Sgt. Clarence Sprague. He enlisted in 1943 and earned 3 Bronze Stars was honored and presented an enormous heartfelt gift. Unfortunately, he was taken advantage of during Hurricane Harvey by contractors so Boots For Troops Co-Founders, Board of Directors and Home Depot presented him with an entire kitchen full of appliances.
A special thank you to the Houston-area businesses in our community that joined forces with Planet Ford to support Boots for Troops to benefit our military heroes. Halford Busby served as the Presenting/Diamond Sponsor. Moffitt Services served as the Entertainment Sponsor for the evening.
The event also featured a prominent live and silent auction with 100% of the proceeds going towards Boots For Troops programs. All proceeds raised will benefit Boots For Troops programs.
About Boots for Troops
The mission at Boots For Troops is to uplift and empower the over-all morale and mental well-being of deployed service members defending our freedom.
For more information on other community activities and events that Planet Ford in Humble (serving Greater Houston, Atascocita, Kingwood, Conroe) is a part of, visit planetford59.com/about/community.
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