DAV members enjoy root beer floats courtesy of A&W Restaurants, which announced it would again collect donations nationwide for DAV on National Root Beer Float Day. A&W raised $100,000 for DAV last year and is raising its goal to $150,000 for the 2018 event. premier veterans service organizations. I’m extremely proud to be part of it.” DAV also received nearly $1 million in donations from corporate sponsors during the convention. Ford Motor Co. donated eight new Ford Flex vehicles to the DAV Transportation Network, bringing the total number to 223 vehicles donated to DAV since 1996—a value of nearly $6 million. Additionally, Ford presented a check for $45,000 to the Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship. USAA, the nationwide series sponsor of the DAV 5K, presented a $500,000 check to support DAV programs and services. Hankook Tire America Corp. presented a $175,000 check, representing its largest-ever donation, and announced it would double the number of mobile service office stops it sponsors this coming year. A&W Restaurants also announced it would again collect donations nationwide for DAV on National Root Beer Float Day. A&W collected $100,000 on behalf of the organization last year and raised its goal to $150,000 for this year. The company then treated convention participants with free root beer floats following the opening business session. DAV also gave back as it presented a $654,000 check to Camp Corral, a nonprofit organization that provides free, one-of-a-kind summer camp experiences for children of injured, ill and fallen military service members. The funds, which were raised by chapters, departments and 12 the Auxiliary through DAV’s Just B Kids Scholarship program and then matched by the national organization, will allow more than 1,000 children to attend the camps. It wasn’t all work and no play for conventiongoers, though. As part of the event’s evening activities, members were once again treated to the entertainment of longtime DAV friend Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band during Fun Night. Musical icon Frankie Valli also treated guests to a complimentary performance, but not before retired NFL star and 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee LaDanian Tomlinson spoke to the crowd about why he supports DAV as an ambassador, and the upcoming release of “God Bless the Broken Road,” in which he makes his feature film debut as a pastor trying to help a Gold Star mother and a disabled veteran. The movie will open in theaters Sept. 7, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit DAV. The 98th DAV and Auxiliary National Convention will convene Aug. 3–6, 2019, at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, Fla. ■ Learn More Online Download speeches, reports and other information from this year’s convention at www.dav.org/ events/2018-national-convention and view all convention videos on DAV’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/DisabledVeterans/videos. Photos are available for download at flickr.com/theDAV. DAV MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2018