What if we all realized that we share common ground under the American flag? That’s the message The Adaptive Training Foundation (ATF) and Klutch: A Creative Company are highlighting in their powerful newly released video called #DearFlag.
ATF is a 501(c)3 Dallas-based gym for people who have suffered life-altering injuries or illnesses. They don’t go there to rehab. They go there to train, like the athletes they are, and often showcase their athletic prowess on a national stage. ATF empowers people with physical disabilities to transform their lives through exercise and community.
The video features ATF athletes, many of whom are veterans and were wounded in combat, expressing their love and gratitude for the American flag by speaking directly to it.
“Dear Flag: it is under your banner that men dare to hope for something better.”
Former NFL linebacker and ATF founder David Vobora, and Klutch executive producer and writer George Kenyon, sought out to send the message that we all share the important values of Freedom, Equality and Justice.
“We felt that through the lens of gratitude, all Americans might be invited to rediscover our common ground knowing that it will be impossible to move forward as a nation without each other,” Vobora said.
“I am hopeful that in some small way this video can remind people of the deep-rooted values that bind us all as Americans and human beings,” Kenyon added.
Here’s the spot:
The adaptive athletes featured in the video are comprised of both combat injured veterans and civilians from all backgrounds. They include: Cpl. Blake Watson USMC, Vanessa Cantu, Cpl. Brian Aft USMC, SPC Derrick Ross US Army, Chauncey Jenkins, Sgt. Dan French US Army, Tsgt Chris Wolff USAF, LCpl Phillip Quintana USMC, Heath Maloy, SPC Lawrence Green US Army, LCpl Emmett Pryor USMC, SPC Kevin Trimble US Army, George Kenyon and David Vobora.
No matter whether you stand or kneel during the national anthem, I think we can all agree that it’s time for our country to unite and “dare to hope for something better.”
