"Thank you for your service," echoed throughout Bank of America Stadium as the Carolina Panthers and Lowe's teamed up to honor and thank Veterans once again as part of the NFL's 12th annual “Salute to Service”. This year, Lowe's and the Panthers welcomed more than the Veterans and their loved ones; celebrating service dogs was included in the order of the evening, with four-legged friends seated close beside their honored owners. A picnic on Panther's field, hosted by Bill Boltz, Lowe's executive vice president of merchandising, and Joe McFarland, Lowe's executive vice president of operations, kicked off the festivities. While the mood was festive, emotions and gratitude were running deep.
"When I come out through the gate a while ago, I like to go into crying because I don't feel I deserve what y'all are doing," said Army Veteran Michael Branch. "I'm just a normal person. But when Lowe's and the Panthers and everybody goes above and beyond for somebody like me, it's really touching."
Vets were treated to a surprise when Panther legends Thomas Davis, Ricky Proehl, and Mushin Muhammad stepped out of the infamous Panthers tunnel to recognize the honored guests, spending the evening chatting with them, signing autographs, and posing for photos.
"The littlest things that we can do to support veterans out there is making a huge impact. You may not really realize what it is, but it's the lumber for the ramp in their home, or it's a small little project that really helps them in their day-to-day," said Nate Whitten, a Senior Director at Lowe’s, and Army Veteran. "And when a veteran can walk into our stores and see the support from Lowe's, as well as their service animals, it goes a real long way and really helps them understand that we're here for them and we support them."
More than 26,000 of the associates at Lowe's are in the military community. Lowe's strives to recruit Veterans and military spouses, as well as support associates as they transition out of service. For more than a decade, Lowe's has been honored to receive the Military Friendly Employer designation.
Chris Lane stepped on stage to wrap up the evening with a special concert for attendees, but the experience wasn't over. Veterans and their service animals got to attend the Salute to Service game on Sunday, Nov. 5, against the Indianapolis Colts.
