On Saturday, June 27, the New Orleans Saints and Community Coffee partnered to host 300 active-duty service members, veterans, and their families for a special Military Appreciation Day at the Ochsner Performance Center in Metairie.
The event featured a meet-and-greet with Saints tight end Juwan Johnson, photo opportunities with the Lombardi Trophy and the Saints Cheer Krewe, football drills, raffle giveaways, and plenty of swag for everyone in attendance.
This was just one of the many events that the Saints host throughout the year to support both current and former members of the military, in addition to the NFL’s Salute to Service campaign in November, when the league honors the service and sacrifice of military members through partnerships, grants, and recognition of service members and their families.
Juwan Johnson, who participated in the event, said it was one of the greatest honors to have the opportunity to give back to these families.
“It’s a complete honor. I don’t feel worthy enough to be here because they have done so much for us and I think this is just a small part of what they should be getting back,” Johnson said. “The biggest thing for me is just being able to be here to let them know how much I appreciate them by my words and actions. They have done so much for this country, laying down their lives, going to battle for people that don’t even know them, or they don’t know and I think that is the biggest sacrifice that anybody can do.”
