STAMFORD, Conn., December 17, 2007 – World Wrestling Entertainment® and its Superstars have been spreading holiday cheer both abroad and stateside this month, leading up to WWE’s presentation of its fifth annual holiday special, “WWE Tribute To The Troops,” which airs on USA Network on Christmas Eve at 9 p.m./8C.
The holiday TV special is based on the experiences of WWE® Chairman Vince McMahon and the 19 Superstars and Divas who in early December met and entertained U.S. troops stationed in Iraq . It features the stories of military personnel on the front lines, their interaction with WWE Superstars, and their participation in the special live wrestling event that culminated the WWE tour. Hosted by Armed Forces Entertainment, the tour marked the fifth holiday “Tribute to the Troops” event WWE has produced since 2003. The WWE “Tribute to the Troops” tour is the largest celebrity production to visit troops in Iraq , with WWE Superstars visiting 20 forward operating bases in three days.
Upon returning to the U.S. , WWE embarked upon appearances supporting toy drives in Boston and Stamford , Conn. , featuring Superstars and Divas who participated in the Iraq tour. The toy drives, done in conjunction with United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation and the Stamford Police Department in Stamford and the Boston Globe’s Globe Santa Program in Boston , obtained thousands of toys to be donated to needy children.
On Tuesday in New York City , WWE Superstars Jeff Hardy™ and Lilian Garcia™, who also participated in the tour of Iraq , will sign autographs for fans as part of a Tribute to the Troops Toy Drive being held by WWE and USA Networks, in conjunction with the United States Marine Corps Toys For Tots Foundation.
“This year, we wanted to not only do something special for U.S. military personnel in Iraq, we also wanted to highlight what our military does here at home to help those less fortunate during the holiday season. The U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Foundation is a great example of how that assistance is provided,” said Gary Davis, WWE Vice President, Corporate Communications. “I give credit to our Superstars and Divas who returned from entertaining the troops in Iraq and then immediately gave of their time to support toy drives in Stamford , Boston and New York City . We hope that our efforts will encourage others to seek similar opportunities to support their local communities during this holiday season.”
Labels: WWE Tribute to the Troops
