For the third Veterans Day in a row, Beasley Media Group and Waterman Broadcasting, joined forces to spread awareness about Home Base Florida on Friday, November 11, 2022. The outreach campaign, “Southwest Florida Salutes Our Veterans,” included airtime interviews on Beasley’s southwest Florida radio stations, WXBK (103.9 FM, B1039) and WRXK (96.1 FM, 96 K-Rock), and on Waterman’s ABC-7 morning and evening news shows.

Throughout the day, the stations conducted interviews with Home Base Leadership, a Veteran who benefitted from Home Base’s programs, community members who support Home Base and Military personnel. Each media outlet also interviewed leaders from the partnering outlet to help launch and explain the collaboration (watch below).

<https://abc-7.com/news/local/2022/11/09/swfl-salutes-our-veterans/>

During Beasley’s “The WiLD Bunch” and the “Stan and Haney” shows, listeners heard from Home Base Executive Director Brigadier General (Ret.) Jack Hammond about the important support Home Base provides Veterans, Service Members and their Families coping with the invisible wounds of war, and how much needs to be done to curb Veteran suicides.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno was so inspired by the initiative, he called in and donated to Home Base on air.

“We want to help Veterans with their mental health. We’re taken bad money, drug money, and making it good today by donation $5,000 to Home Base. We should never forget the men and women who have served this country and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”- Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno

Additionally, ABC-7 dedicated live interviews in the morning news to kick off the campaign and instruct viewers to tune into the evening news for a four-minute, in-depth interview with Army Veteran James Elston, who deployed to Iraq and sought help from Home Base (watch below).

<https://abc-7.com/news/cover-story/2022/11/11/home-base-offers-resources-to-veterans-after-service/>

Elston bravely shared his story of triumph over PTSD, depression and survivor’s guilt so his children could see that Veterans can overcome difficulties in life and encourage others to ask for help.

Leaders from each media outlet sit on the Home Base Leadership Council and play an important role in the direction of and support for Home Base Florida.

“It is an absolute honor and a privilege to shine a spotlight on the important programs that Home Base provides for Veterans in our community and across Florida. Our teams are excited to give back to them through raising awareness of the many opportunities available to them and their Families through this lifechanging organization.” – Vice President and Market Manager of Beasley Media Group’s Southwest Florida Radio Properties AJ Lurie

Through collaborations such as this, Home Base hopes to connect more Veterans to care by expanding awareness about the struggles Veterans face and how the community can support them on Veterans Day and beyond.