Center receives $16,000 for military challenge coin project
Donations helped secure more than 3,000 military challenge coins to honor American troops in Afghanistan.
The McConnell Center has received $16,000 in donations over the past two months, allowing more than 3,000 U.S. soldiers to commemorate their overseas deployment to Afghanistan with a military service challenge coin.
"Because of the generosity of the people of Kentucky, we quadrupled our goal and are now able to serve every solder in the Third Combat Brigade, from junior soldiers to senior officers, with a challenge coin," said Gary Gregg, director of the McConnell Center.
The McConnell Center spearheaded the military coin challenge to honor soldiers based out of Ft. Knox, Ky., and currently stationed in Afghanistan's Zabul Province. Soldiers will receive their commemorative coins in time for January and February departure ceremonies. Jordan Glover, a 2006 McConnell Scholar alumnus, is among the soldiers with the Third Brigade.
The donations also helped fully fund the production of the Daniel H. Utley Memorial Lecture Series coin, which commemorates the life and legacy of a 2001 McConnell Scholar graduate killed while in service in Mali in 2012. Of the 125 coins produced, 25 have been designated to honor future Daniel H. Ultey Memorial Lecture speakers.
"I have been moved by the generosity of your giving and I hope you realize that you have had a big impact on our soldiers in Afghanistan and in helping us memorialize one of the finest young men any of us have ever met," Gregg said.
Watch the video of Louisville's Male High School students presenting a $2,100 check to the military challenge coin project.