For the third consecutive year, the Indianapolis Colts worked with local students to decorate 200 Colts footballs and place them in care packages for delivery to veterans at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, Ind. This year, the Colts partnered with Harrison College to engage students from Metropolitan High School, as well as Harrison College students and employees, in the project.
On Monday, November 5, Colts players and Community Spokesperson Josh Bleill visited Metropolitan High School to help the students and Harrison College employees decorate 200 footballs with messages of thanks.
The footballs were then placed in care packages and delivered to veterans by students and players.
We caught up with Josh Bleill at the event. Bleill is not only the Colts Community Spokesperson, he is also a veteran who lost both of his legs in an attack on his HumVee in Fallujah.
Asked about the importance of giving back to the community, Bleill responded, “I think that’s what it’s all about, telling our country that we’re thankful for the men and women who have given up their time, and some of them their lives, to give us the freedoms that we have.”
He added that it was important to “include this next generation in thanking them, some of them with family members that are still serving. It means a lot to them.”
Bleill knows first hand the importance of the community for veterans combing back home. “I lost my legs in 2006 over in Iraq. It was a hard struggle, but the community support has been just amazing. This country really comes together.”
“Now with the NFL doing Veteran Appreciation – it’s important. It shows a lot how the country has come along over the years. It’s neat to give back. Myself being a veteran, going out there and realizing that there’s a lot more people out there. And to say thank you to them, I just want to keep passing that along.”
