Purple Heart and Bronze Star Recipient, Retired U.S. Army 1st Lt. Melissa Stockwell to Speak at Boys Town Booster Banquet
OMAHA, Neb. – Boys Town announces that Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, Melissa Stockwell will be the featured speaker at this year’s Boys Town Booster Banquet. As the first female American soldier to lose a limb in active combat, Melissa was honored with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Four years later, she became the first Iraq War Veteran to qualify for the Paralympic Games, competing in swimming at the Bejing 2008 Paralympics. Melissa has been a motivated bundle of energy her entire life, and nothing will slow her down.
“We are honored to have Melissa share her inspirational story and her philosophy to live life to the fullest, that courage and the tenacity to never give up can make you unstoppable with our youth at Boys Town,” said Father Steven Boes, Boys Town President and National Executive Director.
The Booster Banquet, which benefits and honors Boys Town student athletes will be held on April 26, 2022 at the Embassy Suites Windsor Ballroom, 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista. The Boys Town Boosters were formed to help ensure that any child who wants to play sports at Boys Town could do so. The funds raised make sure each child has the proper equipment, uniform and other necessities.
Stockwell displayed her patriotism when she joined the ROTC in college. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Melissa was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. A month after being deployed to Iraq, in April 2004, she became the first female American soldier to lose a limb in active combat after her vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. After competing in Beijing in 2008, she shifted her focus to triathlons. Melissa earned three consecutive world titles from 2010-2012. In 2016, she earned a spot on the U.S. paratriathlon team for the Rio Paralympics Games, earning a bronze medal. Her remarkable story has pathed the way for her to meet all of the living American presidents along with writing the book, The Power of Choice.
The event is open to the public. Tickets are $120 each or tables of 10 can be purchased for $1,250. Find more information about the banquet or to purchase tickets click here.
Boys Town Boosters
Founded in 1967, the Boys Town Boosters is a group of Omaha business leaders who help raise funds and awareness for Boys Town student athletes. The Boosters recognize the achievements of student athletes at their annual fund-raising dinner, which last year raised more than $350,000 to help Boys Town children build success, character, and sportsmanship through athletics.
About Boys Town
For 100 years, Boys Town has been a beacon of hope for America’s children and families through its lifechanging youth care and health care programs. In 2021, almost 500,000 children and families across the United States were impacted by Boys Town programs. This includes those who received services from Boys Town’s residential programs as well as those served by the many varied programs that comprise the Boys Town Integrated Continuum of Child and Family Services, including In-Home Family Services, health care services provided by Boys Town National Research Hospital and the Boys Town National Hotline. You can find more information about Boys Town online at https://www.boystown.org/boosters.
