Sept. 15, 2011

Bronx, N.Y. - Fordham University will honor our nation's wounded heroes during their annual Liberty Cup football game against Columbia University in the Bronx on Saturday, September 17th, at 1:00 P.M. In partnership with Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Fordham has invited wounded warriors to present the game ball, participate in the pregame coin toss and to present the Liberty Cup to the winning team following the game.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Fordham to welcome back the men and women who have been injured defending our country," said Frank McLaughlin, Fordham's Executive Director of Athletics. "We are honored to be able to recognize these men and women and thank them for their sacrifice and remind them that they will never be forgotten."

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to honor and empower these wounded warriors and make this the most successful, well-adjusted generation of veterans in our nation's history.

Wounded Warriors SGT Carlos Gonzalez and SSG Ali Naqi will be honored at the game. SGT Gonzales, a Bronx resident and a student at Fordham University, served in the U.S. Army for over eleven years, completing three tours of duty in that time, one to Korea and two to Iraq. He received a combat action badge for his service in Iraq. He is the proud father of three academically successful children. SSG Naqi has been serving on active duty with the U.S. Army for over eight years and has completed two tours in Iraq, one for twelve months and the second of 15 months.

"Wounded warriors are models of service and dedication, and being publicly recognized for their sacrifices at events like this can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them," said Steve Nardizzi, Executive Director of Wounded Warrior Project. "Our hope is that these warriors also inspire the teams and fans around the country as they share their stories of recovery and resiliency."

Over 44,000 service members have been physically wounded during the current military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands more are estimated to be recovering from invisible wounds of war, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Wounded Warrior Project Public Service Announcements will also be played throughout the game. For more information on WWP, please visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

About NACDA NACDA, now in its 47th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,300 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 11 professional associations that come under the umbrella of the athletics director. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.

About Wounded Warrior Project The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project^TM (WWP) is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP's purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.