Hoover Met housing Hometown Heroes Celebration

Veteran Noah Galloway will speak at the Hometown Heroes Celebration at the Hoover Met on Sept. 28.

The celebration is hosted by Homes for Our Troops (HFOT), a non-profit organization that works to build houses for severely injured veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Houses built by HFOT are specially adapted for the veterans receiving the home. Since 2004, HFOT has built more than 190 houses across the United States.

Catherine MacDonald, marketing assistant for HFOT, said the Hoover Met is donating the space for the event.

“We have a couple of builds going on in the area, so we really wanted to be in the Birmingham area,” MacDonald said. “We were just looking for a space that might fit the need [of the event].”

A house for Galloway is currently under construction in Calera. Galloway was injured by a roadside bomb while serving near Yusufiyah, Iraq in 2005. He lost his left arm above the elbow and his left leg above the knee.

Galloway travels the country for motivational speaking engagements and previously volunteered on a build for fellow veteran Sgt. 1st Class Scot Noss.

MacDonald said the Hometown Heroes Celebration is geared toward raising awareness about their organization. The celebration is free to attend, and there will be music, food, a raffle and food provided by Texas Roadhouse.

There is a suggested $5 donation, but this is not required to attend.

“It’s really just sort of like a family fun night and another way to get our mission out there,” MacDonald said.

Doors for the event open at 6 p.m., and the program will start at 7 p.m.

Attendees can pre-register for the event at hfotusa.org/HometownHeroes to receive a gift.