Sodexo and two campus musicians kicked off the men’s basketball first conference home game with Tailgating for the Troops Thursday night (Dec. 1). The event included games, donation stations for care package items and a troop letter writing station.
“We are honored to be able to support our troops in such a special way, especially so close to the holiday season. We know how hard this time can be for our soldiers and their families to be away from home, so we want to bring home to them,” said junior Clark Buckner, the event coordinator.
Belmont student musicians Cameron Bedell and Emily Reid became involved with the benefit event when they were asked to record a new version of Dave Barnes’ hit song, “God Gave Me You.” A number of Belmont students also became involved in producing a video to go with the recording that features individuals and groups on campus holding signs of thanks that read “commitment” and “dedication,” among others; the video debuted during the Tailgating event and has been receiving numerous hits online.
Reid, who was born in Canada, said, “Being given an opportunity to give back to a cause so foreign from your personal upbringing is humbling on many levels. It makes me feel… a bit more connected to something that I really will never comprehend because of my nationality. What troops do … is one of the most honorable and selfless things a person can do, and if I can spend a day doing something that I love to contribute to something much greater than myself, I am humbled by the opportunity to do it.”
Bedell was interested in the project because of working with the coordinators before and a special family connection he has to the troops, he said. “I have a brother-in-law serving our country right now, and I know that something even this small would brighten his days,” Bedell said.
Click here to view additional photos from the Tailgating for the Troops event.
