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Community Corner

23 Year Old Veteran Strikes a Chord with Hoss Howard Band

Nashville recording artist, Hoss Howard Band, comes to Arnold for a benefit concert for Marine Corporal Justin McLoud.

Saturday evening, friends, family and country music fans gathered at Rickman Auditorium, at 747 Jeffco Blvd, for the Howard Hoss Band benefit concert for Cpl. Justin McLoud, of Cedar Hill. McLoud lost three of his limbs while serving in Afghanistan.

McLoud's mother, Kerri Mange, was put in touch with K & J Promotions and Carole Yount by her St. Anthony's Medical Center coworker Jerry Appleton. Kevin Zinselmeier and Jess Yount of K & J Promotions, who normally do fundraising through car shows, decided they would like to show their support for McLoud with a benefit concert.

“There’s a lot, lot of preparations,” Zinselmeier said.

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With the help of Carole Yount, they got the Fox C-6 school district on board and began to plan.

Zineselmeier had met Hoss Howard four years ago, and they talked about doing some sort of benefit or fundraiser together at the time.

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“We brought this up to him, I called him out of the blue and he was like, ‘Let’s do it, whatever you want from me.' He got his recording contract that year so he’s pretty well known right now,” Zineselmeier said.

Lucy’s Palace, fronted by fellow veteran Dominic Tricamo, of Arnold, opened for the Howard Hoss Band, and Monica Adams of Fox 2 News presided as master of ceremonies. In between sets, Adams presented several plaques to the volunteers, event organizers and to McLoud’s mother.

“Thank you everyone who came out. I really, truly appreciate it, and so does my son,” Mange said.

"These people sacrifice so that families can go to the movies and eat popcorn and go to the waterpark. That's what Justin did for us," said Hoss Howard, who was glad to be a park of the benefit. "My motto is that if we would all do just a little daily, it would change the world forever."

The benefit, entirely staffed by volunteers, raised money for McLoud and his family.

“We’ve had lots and lots of donations,” Yount said. “I’m just throwing this figure out there, it’s hopefully $5,000. It’s hard to say though, because people keep donating.”

K & J Promotions will have another benefit for McLoud, this time a car show on Sept. 10 at the Fox C-6 service center.

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