LOUISVILLE, KY - The Heroes of the Diamond “Red, White and Blue Tour” presented by Ashford University and Louisville Slugger proudly supports former U.S. Army Specialist Troy Yocum as he hikes and drums across America. The journey, beginning April 17, will cross 30 states and 37 major cities in effort to “drum up” donations, support and awareness for military families who need financial assistance. Funds raised will be distributed through Soldiers' Angels, which is supplying the chase vehicle for Yocum’s journey.
Throughout the Hike, Yocum will loop the bases at over 20 Major and Minor League Baseball stadiums as part of the “Red, White and Blue Tour” to entertain fans and honor America with patriotic events including ceremonies to rename America's highways for fallen heroes of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
Throughout his Drum Hike, Yocum will carry a custom Louisville Slugger baseball bat for Mayors and Governors to sign, assisting the Soldiers' Angels’ bid to declare Oct. 26 “Day of the Deployed,” a national day of honor. The bat will be presented at the White House on May 11, 2011.
“It means the world to me to have Heroes of the Diamond behind me,” Yocum Says. “I don’t think I could’ve garnered the support I already have without them. More than any other organization, Heroes of the Diamond has believed in me from the beginning. Their continued support of my project has brought everything together.”
In addition to the tour, benefit events associated with the Hike will span the nation, including motorcycle rallies by Patriot Guard Riders, a Blue Star Mothers convention, mini marathons, concerts and meet-and-greets. “Flags across the U.S.A.” will follow Yocum in several cities with an official Flag Truck flying the largest American Flag and the Purple-Heart Parachutist,” Dallas Wittgenfeld, will skydive into cities, announcing Troy's arrival.
Founded in 1990, over 25,000 personnel have represented their service with a philosophy of HUSTLE - THINK - WIN! They are the "Globetrotters" of baseball, recognized as the largest, fastest growing and most successful military and first responders barnstorming team ever created delivering competitive, exciting "must see" patriotic entertainment enjoyed by millions.
The historic “Red, White and Blue Tour" has performed in 45 states and 12 countries while providing entertainment for some of the finest organizations in the world. The Heroes of the Diamond deliver unique patriotic events designed to entertain fans and honor America. They conduct a choreographed pre-game that includes "Passing the Flag" - "Walk of Honor" - and other ceremonies to promote positive community goodwill.
It’s the only team in history comprised of members from all branches of the United States Armed Forces as well as first responders and government agencies. The Heroes also feature celebrities and former professional athletes like former NFL quarterback, Doug Flutie who suited up recently at the MLB Legends Game and against the Boston Red Sox in 2009.
Their appearance is as unique as their mission, featuring full camouflagethemed uniforms extremely popular with fans featuring historical references to blend names and events with numbers on the backs of the jerseys that shaped our history. They resonate with patriotism and capture the imagination of the young and old wearing jerseys that feature numbers and names such as: # 6 D-Day, # 87 Four Score & Seven and # 0 Ground Zero to help educate fans and bring our history to life. In 2010, the Heroes of the Diamond celebrate their 21st season.
Yocum will live-stream his journey, presenting a video blog and interviewing US veterans on DrumHike.com while tracking his progress on Google Earth. All Americans are encouraged to join the Hike in various ways, proving that Yocum is not alone in his quest to help veterans.
Established in 2003, Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as veterans and military families through a wide variety of hands-on projects and volunteerism. For more information, visit
www.soldiersangels.org For more information please visit www.heroesofthediamond.com
