HBO and Starbucks announced today they will host The Concert For Valor, a first-of-its-kind concert to honor the courage and sacrifice of America’s veterans and their families on the National Mall in Washington this Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11th.
HBO will televise the event featuring Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen, and Metallica. Also appearing are Eminem, Carrie Underwood, Rihanna, the Zac Brown Band, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep and Jamie Foxx. Air time is 6pm central and HBO plans to allow non-subscribers to watch.
Starbucks a year ago committed to hiring at least 10,000 veterans and the spouses of active-duty military personnel over the next 5 years, and CEO Howard Schultz has co-written a book called For Love of Country that spotlights the sacrifices of veterans. Proceeds from the book, which is due out from Knopf in early November, are also going to veterans groups.
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense and Starbucks board member Robert Gates and former Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen are serving in an advisory capacity with regard to veterans outreach and veteran service organizations that will be recipients of concert donations.
-Spencer