WAVE Gala 2018: A Celebration of Service

press release: You are invited to celebrate the service of veterans, active duty, military families, their employers, and organizations that support them.

WAVE (Wisconsin Association of Veteran Employers) Partners, American Family Insurance, WPS Health Insurance, CUNA Mutual, Covance Laboratories, and Randstad Technologies invites you to celebrate this Veterans Day at the inaugural WAVE GALA–A Celebration of Service on Saturday, October 27, 2018, 5:30 - 11:00 PM at the Monona Terrace in Madison.

Veterans Day is a day our whole community celebrates–let's show our community that the top employers and organizations in Wisconsin and Dane County are committed to our veterans, their families, and the sacrifice they each have made in service to country. Join us for an evening of dining, cocktails, special guests, live music, and dancing as we honor and celebrate the service of veterans, active duty, military families, nonprofit, and for profit organizations that support them.

WAVE Special Guests

Local Guest Speaker, Jorge Hidalgo

Jorge Hidalgo is a West Point graduate and Army veteran who continues to serve the military and veteran community. He is the owner and General Manager of Wilde East Town Honda in Madison and serves as Vice President on the Fisher House Wisconsin Board of Directors. Jorge and his wife, Andrea have four children; the two elder sons serve in the Army and Marines. Their youngest, also a West Point Graduate, was Killed in Action on February 20, 2011.

National Guest Speaker, Rajiv Chandrasekaran

Rajiv Chandrasekaran is a former Washington Post associate editor and senior correspondent. He covered Afghanistan off and on for a decade and was the newspaper’s bureau chief in Baghdad, Cairo, and Southeast Asia. He is the author of For Love of Country, Little America, and Imperial Life in the Emerald City, which was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2007 by The New York Times. The author of Green Zone, Chandrasekaran is an accomplished speaker who appears regularly on CNN, MSNBC, and National Public Radio. Today he is a senior vice president for Public Affairs at Starbucks.

Interested in being a sponsor of the WAVE Gala?

Sponsorship opportunities range from $200 to $2,500 and include a variety of benefits.

• Complimentary admission and seats at the event

• Name/organization logo in digital and print materials for promotion and day of event

• Opportunity to select and present the 2018 WAVE Community Star, awarded to five active military, reservists, veterans, or family members who have demonstrated exceptional community service. Nominate a 2018 WAVE Community Star at http://bit.ly/2018_WAVE_Community_Star_Form

Contact WAVE at wave.danecounty@gmail.com

Follow WAVE on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WAVEMadison/ @WAVEMadison

Nominate a 2018 WAVE Community Star at http://bit.ly/2018_WAVE_Community_Star_Form

This event is made possible by contributions from the following : American Family Insurance, WPS Health Insurance, Covance Laboratories, CUNA Mutual Group, Randstad Technologies, and support from the Wisconsin Veterans Museum & The Latino Chamber of Commerce.