WoodmenLife Helps Veteran Parachutists Celebrate American Pride

A team of Veteran parachutists wanted to celebrate their American pride by leaping into an NFL game. They just had one problem: They needed a flag. WoodmenLife was there to answer the call.

WoodmenLife Recruiting Sales Manager David Patterson of Fayetteville, NC, was instrumental in making the NFL jump donation possible. His team was helping a WoodmenLife member with her certificate, and they discovered she was also a member of the All Veteran Group (AVG). This group — made up of experienced military parachutists — honors Veterans, raises awareness for services that Veterans need and celebrates American pride.

When the member noticed flag art in his office, Patterson told her about WoodmenLife’s commitment to patriotism, and he gave her a flag in appreciation for her service. Then, she said her group needed to order flags, “because we need them when we jump into stadiums.”

“Long story short,” Patterson said, “they were jumping into a Carolina Panthers game, and they needed a flag.”

Partnering to Celebrate American Pride

Since then, WoodmenLife Chapter 60 in Fayetteville, NC, has presented AVG with 25 flags, and the group has responded by thanking WoodmenLife in social media posts on Facebook and Instagram. Following the Carolina Panthers jump, AVG presented WoodmenLife’s North Carolina East Regional Director Spencer Owen with the game flag as a token of their appreciation.

The successful partnership between WoodmenLife and AVG has grown because of both organizations’ dedication to honoring Veterans and promoting patriotism.

Donating flags is our way of showing how much we value our American freedoms. That’s why WoodmenLife has proudly presented more than 3.5 million flags to nonprofit organizations, schools and communities nationwide, helping to bring people together and celebrate our shared values.

“It’s just amazing,” Patterson said, recalling how he learned about AVG’s mission to Remember, Honor and Serve. “That’s why we jumped on board — because of how much we parallel each other: family, community and country.”

Honoring and Remembering

Patterson and AVG founder Mike Elliott, retired Army Sgt. 1st Class, dream big about potential future joint efforts, like a WoodmenLife-branded parachute.

“When I jump into a stadium,” Elliott said, “The kids and the people are going to wonder what WoodmenLife is, and they’ll find out it’s an organization that protects you with life insurance and cares about our country.”

Whatever we accomplish together will be driven by our shared commitment to celebrate American pride and support Veterans.

“Don’t forget,” Elliott said, “when you sleep at night, you might not hear them or see them, but your family is being protected by someone who’s away from their family.”

Visit WoodmenLife.org/Patriotism to learn more about WoodmenLife’s commitment to our country.

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