KNOX COUNTY (KFDX/KJTL) — An event to support veterans is coming up on Thursday, April 20, through Sunday, April 23.

Cody Palmer and Drew Whitten joined our noon show to talk about how you can support the veterans participating in the Helicopter Hog Hunt.

Carney Porter: All right, Brian, thanks so much. Well, today we have with us Cody Palmer, the Executive Director of Big Country Veterans, and Air Force veteran, Drew Witter who spent time working and training with U.S. Special Operations Forces on chemical and biological weapons response and recovery.

That is a mouthful there, right there. You had a lot on your plate. Thank you all so much for joining us today. We appreciate it. So tell us about this big event coming up. It sounds like it’s going to be a great time for everyone who’s participating.

Cody Palmer: Yeah, absolutely. So Big Country Veterans is a nonprofit organization that brings veterans and their families together to help them kind of conquer life after combat. One way we do this is a big annual helicopter hog hunt that we do on the Circle Bar Ranch in Truscott, Texas, every year.

And it’s really about them. You know, it’s about them for the entire weekend. It’s about having a weekend to honor and really support the sacrifices that they made for us, so that we can have weekends like this. And so, I mean, it’s just been just a great opportunity. And the support of the local community here has been amazing to allow us to even do this. And so we appreciate that.

Carney Porter: And speaking of that support, I know the roster for the sign-ups are full. You know, we have some veterans who are going to be enjoying that. But the support you’re more in need of as of now, sponsor-wise.

Cody Palmer: Yeah absolutely. So supporting that weekend – again, it’s about the veterans that whole weekend, and so what we do have a few very few sponsorships left available this year. And so you can contact us at our website bigcountryveterans.org and then get a hold of me Cody Palmer, as the executive director, and I’d be happy to explain what those sponsorships are available.

But more so in itself is availability coming to support us as an organization. We have a gun raffle going on that goes directly towards allowing these guys to have this weekend where they come up and, you know, get to fly in the helicopter, just kind of hit a reset button for a little bit, help them reintegrate back into civilian life after, you know, their service.

Carney Porter: And Drew did that?

Drew Witter: Yeah, I did it last year, and it was an incredible experience. I made some lifelong friends and, you know, it was just, it was one of those things where, you know, there’s a lot of veterans events out there, but this one has a really kind of family-like feel and that, you know, totally separates it from- from any others that I’ve been a part of. And so, yeah, it’s a really cool experience.

Carney Porter: Gotcha, well a worth- worthwhile experience to be a part of and to help, you know, make it a success in itself. So if you’d like to sponsor, we have all that information over on our website. Thank you, gentlemen, so much for being here. We appreciate it.

Cody Palmer: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Carney Porter: Yes. Don’t go anywhere. We’ll be right back.