8th annual Boots & Suits gala raises $120,000 for military care programs

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The 8th annual Boots & Suits gala, presented by Axis HOA Maintenance & Development and benefiting Boots For Troops, recently took place at Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake Conroe. Boots For Troops successfully raised more than $120,000 for its programs.

The night was full of patriotism and pride of country. Retired Marine SSgt Johnny ‘Joey’ Jones gave a keynote speech sharing his story as an EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) specialist whose career resulted in him losing both legs above the knees.

The mission at Boots For Troops is to uplift and empower the overall morale and mental well-being of deployed military service members. Founder Jimmy Rogers and his wife Lindsey were inspired to create the nonprofit organization while Jimmy was serving in the United States Navy while stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. His realization that too many of his fellow service members didn’t receive care packages – or generic, impersonal boxes filled with unneeded items if they did – compelled him to create a program to ensure every person serving in the military receives personalized care packages.

Since then, Boots For Troops has expanded its program list to include the Care Package Program, the Honor Our Heroes Program thanking people for their service, the Travel Assistance Program to help military families see each other, and the Jimmy Rogers Scholarship designed to help a military spouse receive their education. The gala is a significant resource to fund these programs.

“We had moving testimonies by care package recipients, military spouse scholarship recipients, and even Founder Jimmy Rogers’ Master Chief Anthony Sanders, who was there when the organization started and personally witnessed the very first care package being received. Mrs. Cheryl Konrad was awarded the Lynne C. Whitener Golden Heart Award, which is awarded each year to the individual who goes above and beyond in giving their time and heart to the organization,” said Lindsey Rogers, the organization's director of operations.

To learn more about Boots For Troops, visit www.boots4troops.org.