Chris Mumford, left, founder of Got Your Six, a band that seeks to raise public awareness about veterans’ issues, accepts a $2,400 check from Chris Saunders, a National Guard soldier and sales representative at Tonkin Subaru in The Dalles.
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Eighty-five boxes are on their way to troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East thanks to the generosity of area residents, reported Chris Mumford, co-chair of the Holiday for Heroes Committee, on Friday afternoon.
The Holiday for Heroes Committee has raised more than $2,000 for troop boxes and accumulated a pile of snack and hygiene items for shipments to the Middle East. Because of the community’s generosity, Mike Knopf, a member of the committee and The Dalles Outpost Leader for Point Man International Ministries, said more than 30 boxes — the original goal — can be filled on Thursday.
Army veteran Roger Howe gave a large cash donation to the Holidays for Heroes Committee Wednesday to use for care packages that will be sent to troops in Afghanistan — and he is challenging other veterans to do the same. “The fact that we are here, still walking and talking, and we have experienced what our troops are going through — we get what it means to get something from home,” said Howe, who deployed to Vietnam in 1968 with the 101st Airborne Division.
Cameron Smith, executive director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, recently awarded each member of the local “Got Your Six” band with a military challenge coin for their work to promote and raise funds for vet causes. “I got chills when he handed it to us,” said Chris Mumford, founder and drummer for the band named after the military term for “Got Your Back.”
Mother’s Day at Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum will be made more festive with a performance by the new local band “Got Your Six,” which formed primarily to raise money for veteran causes, but is also open to supporting other events.
The new band “Got Your Six” is throwing a Christmas party Dec. 22 at the Oregon Veterans’ Home that will include a buffet and holiday music, all at no charge.
The musical group “Got Your Six” makes its debut at a local Veterans Day observance Friday and Chris Mumford, band leader and drummer, invites community members to hear them play.
Chris Mumford held the first rehearsal Thursday for a new band being formed to raise money for veterans’ causes. He hopes to attract enough musicians in coming weeks to split the group between country and rock so they can cover a wider variety of venues.
Chris Mumford is dusting off his drum set with the intent of starting a jam band that provides veterans with musical therapy and raises funds to meet their needs. He is seeking musicians, both “civilian” and veteran, to get involved in the outreach. If enough people sign on, Mumford wants to tackle another big challenge; perhaps setting a new world record for having the largest number of people play the same song for the longest amount of time.
