Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Welcome in to Talk of the Townon news Radio Wood thirteen hundred one oh
six nine FM. My name isMack. From start one to five point
seven, and today we're gonna talkto Brett Johnson, the regional director of
your local and veteran owned Ashley FurnitureStores in Grand Rapids, Grandville and in
Kalamazoo about their upcoming sixth annual VeteransCelebration, gonna be happening next Sunday,
(00:22):
September twenty fourth, from noon tofour pm at Eagles Stadium there at Hudsonville
Middle School in Hudsonville. Great eventhonoring our community's veterans. Really looking forward
to it. Brett, I knowyou are as well. How are you
doing today, sir? Doing great? How you doing today? Fantastic?
Well, I'm just ready for anotheryear of this Veteran celebration. This is
the sixth year bringing it back.And if you're not familiar with the event,
(00:44):
this is so cool because it isentirely free for all local veterans and
active military personnel to come out therewith their families. And it's not a
sale, it's not something going onfor Ashley. This is just a way
of saying thank you to those incrediblelocal veterans. Yeah all you, Mack.
I mean, this is an excitingtime of the year for us.
We've been doing this now for thesix years we've been in Michigan, thirteen
(01:06):
years in our markets and communities inOhio, and it's really it's the favorite
day of the year for all ofus. It's an opportunity to celebrate,
get to know and swap stories withour veterans, their families, and really
expanding that out this year to haveactivities not just for our vets it'll speak
to them, but to their guests, their families, the kiddos. I
(01:27):
really want to make this a familyfriendly event while you know, really honoring
those who deserve it the most,are cherished veterans. It is an entire
day of food, of games,of music, and of course a ton
of family fund as you just mentioned, but also massive prize drawings. I
mean we're talking things like concert ticketsand experiences. I know we're going to
have tickets for the Eagles final showin Michigan out there for you, Tip
(01:51):
McGraw tickets and tons of furniture twoagain, over fifty thousand dollars in prizes
all given out for free as athank you to our local veterans. Yeah,
I mean this year, I mean, I can't speak enough about the
partners of Ashley who have really cometo the plate join us in our mission
to give away and celebrate, notto sell, but really to have fun.
(02:15):
The drawings are going to be spectacular, as Max said, anywhere from
concert tickets where we'll be having ameat raffle this year at fifty fifty.
We'll have tables that people can actuallysign up for for those auctions, even
if you're a non veteran or activemilitary, and then we have those that
are will be specifically just for ourveterans and active military. You know,
(02:38):
it's so cool as you mentioned thekids, and there's gonna be a lot
of stuff for the entire family todo that's there. But I think this
is such an important thing for ourveterans and active military personnel with little ones,
for them to see their entire communityout there celebrating their parents. My
sister is a captain in the AirForce and she's got two young ones that
are five and three years old,and I think it's so amazing for them
(03:00):
when they see her decked out inher officers uniform and is there with other
military personnels saluting her. I mean, I think that's a powerful message to
send to kids that you know,your parents are heroes. Your parents are
people who step up and defend therest of us, who go out there
and sacrifice their time, often timewith their families in order to go and
serve our country. And so thisis an opportunity for them to see the
(03:22):
appreciation that comes from everyone in ourcommunity. Oh absolutely, And not only
that, Mac, you know theveteran organizations that are in western Michigan that
we have partnered with over the yearsand continued this year, we'll be out
in force sharing their vision and theirmissions and how they can help support the
veterans community. And if it's thatfirst time you've met them or the fifth
(03:43):
time that you met them, tobe able to take back possibly your resource
for yourself or a friend and afriend in need really is the catalyst of
why we like to get together well. And it is such an important thing.
You mentioned a very important word whenit comes to veterans, and that
is community, bringing them together withtheir fellow service members so that they can
see that there's other people going throughsome similar difficulties that maybe they are or
(04:06):
who have found help in a differentway that maybe they were entirely unaware of
before they made those connections at eventslike this. And not only that,
but with all of those different venturansorganizations out there, it's a lot of
resources available for everyone too. Absolutely, as a vetter known or accompany ourselves,
you know, we have benefited fromthose relationships and been able to really
(04:29):
provide a platform in both of thestates in which we have stores for communities
that really may not have been ableto or have the resources to improve their
lives, improve the lives of aloved one. And if at the end
of the day, our veteran communitycan walk away with one additional contact that
can provide one additional assistance in theirlives, you know, then the event's
(04:51):
been a success, and you knowit's not just this one day that actually
does step up for our veterans.I've been fortunate enough to work with you
guys for over five years now,and one of the things that I'm always
in awe of when I visit anyof the stores again Kalamazoo in Grandville and
in Grand Rapids, is you'll seethat Wall of Honor right there where you'll
see local veterans all over the wallstheir pictures when they're there at Ashley,
(05:15):
Because when they walk in, youknow, often you're asked, you know,
did you serve And if the answeris yes, well, whether they
like it or not, sometimes thegong is gonna get hit. The gong
is going to get a ring in. Every sales associate and team member there
at Ashley comes over to thank thatveteran, to shake their hand and say
how much they appreciate their service andthen go up on the Wall of Honor
as well. And I just thinkit's a really cool touch to do in
(05:39):
your store each and every day toremind people, hey, we are surrounded
by our heroes in our community.Absolutely, as you mentioned earlier, we
don't do sales. We don't pandertowards a particular military branch or veteran community.
This is a three hundred sixty fiveday a year belief system. They
honoring our veteran community, parting themin every facet that we can be able
(06:03):
to afford to do is always goingto be our mission. This is just
a incredible celebration that kind of isa highlight of our year, but it's
just one of three hundred sixty fivedays of honoring serving our veterans again.
It's gonna happen Sunday, September twentyfourth, noon to four pm. They're
at Eagle Stadium over in at HudsonvilleMiddle School right there on Baldwin Street,
(06:25):
the sixth annual Veteran Celebration with Ashley. Tell people what they can expect,
I mean, a day of funthat the whole family can come out and
enjoy. Sure, we've got somegreat veteran known food trucks that are going
to be coming out and supporting ourevent. We've got games for the kiddos,
like I mentioned before, a lotof raffles. If you are a
cornhole expert, we're gonna throw atwist on that and you can compete closest
(06:45):
to the pen. We'll have ourveteran sport groups throughout the track and field,
and then around two o'clock we're gonnasit on down. We're gonna celebrate
and bring up some of our veterangroups and spotlights. We've got an incredible
keynote speaker, Captain Guy Gruders outof Sydney, Ohio, who was a
Vietnam pow and he's got some incredibleinspirational words. And then, as Max
(07:09):
said, we're going to be givingaway tens of thousands of dollars worth of
gifts, furniture, mattresses, youname it. And it's really just for
one thing, and that's to honorand celebrate those veterans. Again, can't
stress it enough. It is totallyfree to come out there with the entire
family. This is your opportunity tocome and support not only your fellow veterans
(07:30):
that are out there, but allthese veteran services that are available, all
those veteran owned businesses like you mentionedcoming with the food trucks. This is
a day to come and support allthe way around. So again, Sunday,
September twenty fourth, noon to fourBrett's where do people need to go
to get information to RSBP to letyou guys know that they're planned to come.
Sure, Mac two great ways.You can either go on event bright
(07:50):
and look for the Veterans Celebration onSunday, September twenty fourth, or you
can go directly to our website atwww. My Furniture and Mattress dot com.
Either way we'll link you up,Brett Johnson, regional director for your
local and veteran owned Ashley stores inGrand Rapids, Kalamazoo and in Grandville.
Thank you so much for doing thisfor our community and thanks for talking to
me this morning. Bet Man,thanks so much. This has been talk
(08:13):
of the town on news radio WOULDthirteen hundred one oh six nine FM
Welcome in to Talk of the Townon news Radio Wood thirteen hundred one oh
six nine FM. My name isMack. From start one to five point
seven, and today we're gonna talkto Brett Johnson, the regional director of
your local and veteran owned Ashley FurnitureStores in Grand Rapids, Grandville and in
Kalamazoo about their upcoming sixth annual VeteransCelebration, gonna be happening next Sunday,
(00:22):
September twenty fourth, from noon tofour pm at Eagles Stadium there at Hudsonville
Middle School in Hudsonville. Great eventhonoring our community's veterans. Really looking forward
to it. Brett, I knowyou are as well. How are you
doing today, sir? Doing great? How you doing today? Fantastic?
Well, I'm just ready for anotheryear of this Veteran celebration. This is
the sixth year bringing it back.And if you're not familiar with the event,
(00:44):
this is so cool because it isentirely free for all local veterans and
active military personnel to come out therewith their families. And it's not a
sale, it's not something going onfor Ashley. This is just a way
of saying thank you to those incrediblelocal veterans. Yeah all you, Mack.
I mean, this is an excitingtime of the year for us.
We've been doing this now for thesix years we've been in Michigan, thirteen
(01:06):
years in our markets and communities inOhio, and it's really it's the favorite
day of the year for all ofus. It's an opportunity to celebrate,
get to know and swap stories withour veterans, their families, and really
expanding that out this year to haveactivities not just for our vets it'll speak
to them, but to their guests, their families, the kiddos. I
(01:27):
really want to make this a familyfriendly event while you know, really honoring
those who deserve it the most,are cherished veterans. It is an entire
day of food, of games,of music, and of course a ton
of family fund as you just mentioned, but also massive prize drawings. I
mean we're talking things like concert ticketsand experiences. I know we're going to
have tickets for the Eagles final showin Michigan out there for you, Tip
(01:51):
McGraw tickets and tons of furniture twoagain, over fifty thousand dollars in prizes
all given out for free as athank you to our local veterans. Yeah,
I mean this year, I mean, I can't speak enough about the
partners of Ashley who have really cometo the plate join us in our mission
to give away and celebrate, notto sell, but really to have fun.
(02:15):
The drawings are going to be spectacular, as Max said, anywhere from
concert tickets where we'll be having ameat raffle this year at fifty fifty.
We'll have tables that people can actuallysign up for for those auctions, even
if you're a non veteran or activemilitary, and then we have those that
are will be specifically just for ourveterans and active military. You know,
(02:38):
it's so cool as you mentioned thekids, and there's gonna be a lot
of stuff for the entire family todo that's there. But I think this
is such an important thing for ourveterans and active military personnel with little ones,
for them to see their entire communityout there celebrating their parents. My
sister is a captain in the AirForce and she's got two young ones that
are five and three years old,and I think it's so amazing for them
(03:00):
when they see her decked out inher officers uniform and is there with other
military personnels saluting her. I mean, I think that's a powerful message to
send to kids that you know,your parents are heroes. Your parents are
people who step up and defend therest of us, who go out there
and sacrifice their time, often timewith their families in order to go and
serve our country. And so thisis an opportunity for them to see the
(03:22):
appreciation that comes from everyone in ourcommunity. Oh absolutely, And not only
that, Mac, you know theveteran organizations that are in western Michigan that
we have partnered with over the yearsand continued this year, we'll be out
in force sharing their vision and theirmissions and how they can help support the
veterans community. And if it's thatfirst time you've met them or the fifth
(03:43):
time that you met them, tobe able to take back possibly your resource
for yourself or a friend and afriend in need really is the catalyst of
why we like to get together well. And it is such an important thing.
You mentioned a very important word whenit comes to veterans, and that
is community, bringing them together withtheir fellow service members so that they can
see that there's other people going throughsome similar difficulties that maybe they are or
(04:06):
who have found help in a differentway that maybe they were entirely unaware of
before they made those connections at eventslike this. And not only that,
but with all of those different venturansorganizations out there, it's a lot of
resources available for everyone too. Absolutely, as a vetter known or accompany ourselves,
you know, we have benefited fromthose relationships and been able to really
(04:29):
provide a platform in both of thestates in which we have stores for communities
that really may not have been ableto or have the resources to improve their
lives, improve the lives of aloved one. And if at the end
of the day, our veteran communitycan walk away with one additional contact that
can provide one additional assistance in theirlives, you know, then the event's
(04:51):
been a success, and you knowit's not just this one day that actually
does step up for our veterans.I've been fortunate enough to work with you
guys for over five years now,and one of the things that I'm always
in awe of when I visit anyof the stores again Kalamazoo in Grandville and
in Grand Rapids, is you'll seethat Wall of Honor right there where you'll
see local veterans all over the wallstheir pictures when they're there at Ashley,
(05:15):
Because when they walk in, youknow, often you're asked, you know,
did you serve And if the answeris yes, well, whether they
like it or not, sometimes thegong is gonna get hit. The gong
is going to get a ring in. Every sales associate and team member there
at Ashley comes over to thank thatveteran, to shake their hand and say
how much they appreciate their service andthen go up on the Wall of Honor
as well. And I just thinkit's a really cool touch to do in
(05:39):
your store each and every day toremind people, hey, we are surrounded
by our heroes in our community.Absolutely, as you mentioned earlier, we
don't do sales. We don't pandertowards a particular military branch or veteran community.
This is a three hundred sixty fiveday a year belief system. They
honoring our veteran community, parting themin every facet that we can be able
(06:03):
to afford to do is always goingto be our mission. This is just
a incredible celebration that kind of isa highlight of our year, but it's
just one of three hundred sixty fivedays of honoring serving our veterans again.
It's gonna happen Sunday, September twentyfourth, noon to four pm. They're
at Eagle Stadium over in at HudsonvilleMiddle School right there on Baldwin Street,
(06:25):
the sixth annual Veteran Celebration with Ashley. Tell people what they can expect,
I mean, a day of funthat the whole family can come out and
enjoy. Sure, we've got somegreat veteran known food trucks that are going
to be coming out and supporting ourevent. We've got games for the kiddos,
like I mentioned before, a lotof raffles. If you are a
cornhole expert, we're gonna throw atwist on that and you can compete closest
(06:45):
to the pen. We'll have ourveteran sport groups throughout the track and field,
and then around two o'clock we're gonnasit on down. We're gonna celebrate
and bring up some of our veterangroups and spotlights. We've got an incredible
keynote speaker, Captain Guy Gruders outof Sydney, Ohio, who was a
Vietnam pow and he's got some incredibleinspirational words. And then, as Max
(07:09):
said, we're going to be givingaway tens of thousands of dollars worth of
gifts, furniture, mattresses, youname it. And it's really just for
one thing, and that's to honorand celebrate those veterans. Again, can't
stress it enough. It is totallyfree to come out there with the entire
family. This is your opportunity tocome and support not only your fellow veterans
(07:30):
that are out there, but allthese veteran services that are available, all
those veteran owned businesses like you mentionedcoming with the food trucks. This is
a day to come and support allthe way around. So again, Sunday,
September twenty fourth, noon to fourBrett's where do people need to go
to get information to RSBP to letyou guys know that they're planned to come.
Sure, Mac two great ways.You can either go on event bright
(07:50):
and look for the Veterans Celebration onSunday, September twenty fourth, or you
can go directly to our website atwww. My Furniture and Mattress dot com.
Either way we'll link you up,Brett Johnson, regional director for your
local and veteran owned Ashley stores inGrand Rapids, Kalamazoo and in Grandville.
Thank you so much for doing thisfor our community and thanks for talking to
me this morning. Bet Man,thanks so much. This has been talk
(08:13):
of the town on news radio WOULDthirteen hundred one oh six nine FM
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