'Salute to Heroes' Event to Help Injured Soldiers

A small group of people from around North Canton are giving others the chance to say thank-you to injured soldiers through a dinner and silent auction benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project.

North Canton resident Hillary Mueller and a team of five others are putting together the event, “Salute to Heroes,” with their local heroes in mind. It takes place at Shady Hollow Country Club, 4865 Wales Road NW, Massillon, on May 11.

As the wife of a full-time Ohio National Guard member, Mueller was familiar with the Wounded Warrior Project but had never really been involved with it. That is until she learned the best man in her wedding, Sgt. 1st Class Gabriel Monreal, who lost part of his leg while fighting in Afghanistan in August 2010, had been helped through the Wounded Warrior Project.

“When you leave the battlefield when you’re injured, you leave all of your belongings behind,” Mueller said. “By the time you get to all these hospitals, and through all these surgeries, you have nothing — no clothes on your back or anything."

The Wounded Warrior Project will send out care packages (more than 2,000 a month) to injured soldiers at military trauma units. The "WWP Packs" are backpacks filled with clothing, toiletries, playing cards and other essential care and comfort items.

Check out the organization's website to see all the other ways they help wounded soldiers.

Mueller said the event also will shine some positive light on the soldiers.

“There’s so much media coverage, unfortunately, about the soldiers we lose,” Mueller said. “There are so many soldiers out there that are forgotten. And we’ve got a lot of wounded warriors here in this area.”

“These guys and girls deserve to be taken care of, with whatever needs they have,” Mueller said.

She said if all goes well, the "Salute to Heroes" dinner and auction will become an annual event.

The dinner is catered by Shady Hollow Country Club and features a patriotic cake from Ann's Cakes in Canton. The silent auction will include several themed baskets, many put together by staff members in the North Canton City School District.

One of the more unique auction items is a test drive of the new 5 series for one whole weekend (350 mileage limitation) from . The winner picks the car up at 3 p.m. on a Friday and drops it off at noon Monday.

Contact Mueller at 330-904-9107 or mueller.hillary@yahoo.com if interested in supporting the Wounded Warrior Project, helping to sponsor the event or buying tickets to the event. Tickets are $40 each.

Doors open at 6 p.m. that day and dinner begins at 7.