Operation Never Forgotten (ONF) will host the first ever Freedom Sound Off on March 15 and 16 as a way of raisingfunds to bring injured veterans to Big Sky. This singing competition is free to the public and will provide a chance for winners to attend the Grand Ole Opry with country music artist Lee Greenwood.

Held at the Bozeman American Legion and starting at 6 p.m., this event is a part of the effort to heal wounded veterans through the annual Sports, Afield & Stream (SAS) event held at Big Sky Resort.

ONF is a national volunteer organization that creates awareness campaigns for troops, veterans and military families. The singing competition held in Bozeman this month is the first of a number of these events that are to be held nationally throughout the year. Organization President Linda Kelly expects that there will only be three to five contests this first year, however the event may grow in years to come.

The idea for this Freedom Sound Off was inspired by ONF Spokesman Lee Greenwood, who made popular the single “God Bless the USA,” said Kelly. Greenwood invites the final winner from a drawing of all 2013 local contestants to join him for dinner in Nashville and backstage at the Grand Ole Opry during his performance later in the year.

Sunrise Entertainment will provide a high-end Karaoke system for the contest. Contestants must sign up online in advance and pay a $20 fee and volunteers are encouraged to help out. Applications for both singers and volunteers are available at www.freedomsoundoff.org.

The audience can attend for free, and food will be available for purchase throughout the evening. Proceeds will be used in bringing troops to future SAS events. In addition to the trip with Greenwood, other prizes include his autographed book Does God Still Bless the USA?, a two-night stay for two at Big Sky Resort Huntley Lodge, a two hour recording session with Peak Recording in Bozeman, a $50 gift card for Ted Turner’s Ted’s Grill in downtown Bozeman and a llama trek for one in Yellowstone this summer.
ONF’s overall mission is to create awareness through PSA advertising in an effort to “stimulate volunteerism…[and] assist with creative services for other military support organizations,” says the organization’s website. “ONF contributes so that those men and women who chose to serve and protect our country will never be forgotten.”

The SAS project hosted by ONF and held in Montana each year is aimed at helping veterans and their caregivers gain more trust, achieve self sufficiency and develop better overall health. Through workshops and activities such as classes on PTSD and outdoor recreation, participants gain knowledge and tools to achieve these greater goals.

First held on Jan. 7, 2011, the SAS event incorporated snow and ice sports into the program. The program was held a second time on July 17, 2012. The next event will focus on breaking through the stigma problem with invisible wounds, secondary PTSD that families struggle with and how veterans can reach out to others in their communities.

Donations can be made to Operation Never Forgotten online at www.operationneverforgotten.org or mailed to 610 Upper Pass Road, Manhattan, MT 59741.

Jessianne Wright is an honors student at MSU and also writes for the MSU Exponent.