Bondurant, IA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/27/2008 -- The Bondurant Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes (http://www.saluteheroes.org) will be holding a charity dinner and auction on Friday, February 29 from 5:00-10:00 PM CST at Cory’s Irish Pub in downtown Bondurant in honor of local veterans.

Corporal Donny Daughenbaugh, US Marine Corps (Ret.) and Specialist BJ Jackson, Iowa National Guard (Ret.), area veterans, will be in attendance. While deployed to Iraq in 2004, Donny was shot in the face by insurgents, and the bullet lodged so close to his brain that doctors were not able to remove it. In 2003, B.J. lost both legs when the Humvee he was riding in ran over a landmine. Today, BJ and Donny help other wounded troops and their families through their work with the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes (CSAH).

All funds raised will be donated to CSAH, who will distribute the funds to wounded veterans living in the greater Des Moines area.

Included in auction are the following items:

• Autographed guitars from the country artists, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson and Montgomery Gentry
• Autographed pictures/shirts from Leeann Womack and Dirks Bentley
• Autographed sports memorabilia from NASCAR, Barry Bonds, Brett Favre
• Autographed memorabilia from Hannah Montana
• Donated items from local businesses such as gas grills and DVD players

CSAH is the leading nongovernmental provider of emergency financial aid to severely wounded troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. There are major emotional, psychological and financial obstacles that wounded heroes and their families must overcome in addition to the physical changes they’ve experienced. CSAH steps in to help these families rebuild their lives, thanks to donations from patriotic Americans and businesses across the nation.

To learn more about this event, please contact Donny Daughenbaugh at 515-868-4470.

To learn more about CSAH, visit http://www.saluteheroes.org.

About the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes:
The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes is a 501 (c)(3), non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to helping the severely wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families rebuild their lives. The organization is the top nongovernmental association helping wounded troops from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and since its 2004 inception, has assisted over 6,000 troops.

More than $11 million dollars has been distributed to date to prevent car repossessions and utility shut-offs, while trips to sporting events, entertainment parks, and shows help service members boost morale, break the boredom of the routine of recuperation and help reintegrate wounded troops into civilian life. The annual all-expense-paid Road to Recovery Conference provides seminars, career counseling, job fairs, evaluations, and inspirational success stories.

For more information or to learn how you can help, please visit the website at http://www.saluteheroes.org.