December 12, 2015 – The Charlotte Hornets and Bank of America tonight will honor United States Army Sergeant First Class Jeremy Hetrick as this season’s third recipient of the season-long Yellow Ribbon Program. An initiative that honors veterans for their unwavering service to our country, the Yellow Ribbon Program recognizes military heroes during one Hornets’ home game per month. Recipients are honored prior to the national anthem and during an on-court presentation at halftime, and are given five tickets to the game for them and their family, along with a check for $1,000. In addition, they are introduced to Charlotte Bridge Home, a local organization that seeks to help successfully transition retired soldiers from military to civilian life.
“This holiday season, it is important for us to recognize those who have served our country honorably and made sacrifices along the way,” said Hornets Sports & Entertainment President & COO Fred Whitfield. “The Charlotte Hornets and Bank of America are proud to honor these special individuals through the Yellow Ribbon Program.”
Sergeant Hetrick will be honored during the Hornets’ game tonight against the Boston Celtics. For 21 years, he devoted his life to serving our country, spending the majority of his tenure with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He was deployed for two separate tours of Iraq and also served an overseas assignment in Korea. Sergeant Hetrick was the recipient of numerous awards including the Meritorious Service Medal (2nd Award), Combat Action Badge and Airborne Wings. He retired from the Army in 2013 and is currently working on his Ph.D. and serving as a non-instructional support administrative staff member at Henderson Collegiate Charter School. Henderson Collegiate, a free public Title I school where 86% of the students come from low-income families, seeks to give students the tools necessary to succeed and to attend and graduate from the college of their choice.
Previous honorees of this season’s Yellow Ribbon Program include United States Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Horace E. Booker and United States Army Specialist Daniel Schugel. Last year, the Hornets were privileged to recognize several members of our armed forces, among them Lieutenant Colonel Tracy Simmons, Corporal Jessie Fletcher, the 555th “Triple Nickles” Parachute Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Colin Hood, Purple Heart Recipient Sergeant Jesse Brown and Officer Candidate Celestine Peters.