Salute to Veterans returns to speedway

     The second annual “Salute to Veterans” was held at the Kossuth County Speedway on Thursday, July 26, as area veterans received about $10,000 in gifts during a special evening. The event was organized again this year by the Hunting with Heroes organization from Lakota.

     Close to 240 veterans attended the event, and each of them received at least $20 in gift cards from area businesses. Thirty veterans were also paired up with drivers in the evening’s Modified and Stock Car features, and the veterans paired with the two winning drivers each won a Henry Golden Boy commemorative rifle.

     Veteran Paul Koppen of Lakota was one of the evening’s rifle winners, as he was paired with Stock Car winner Elijah Zevenbergen of Ochyeden. The other rifle went to veteran Howard Hughes of Humboldt, as he was paired with Modified winner Ryan Ruter of Kanawha.

     Two drivers debuted new patriotic wraps on their cars for the veterans’ night, including Modified driver Tad Reutzel of Burt and Stock Car driver Derek Green of Grenada, MN. Veterans were invited to sign the cars ahead of the evening races.

     This was Reutzel’s second year participating in the Salute to Veterans. He says he’s been racing cars for 23 years, and he participates in about 40-50 races a year. He said the veterans’ night is a big deal at the Kossuth County Speedway, and it brings out a lot of drivers, with a top prize of $2,000 for each feature.

     For Green, this was his first year participating in the veterans’ night at the Algona speedway. He says he’s been racing weekly for about 4-5 years, including about 35 nights a year. He says he applauds the veterans, as well as all the volunteers who make the veterans’ event possible.

     A special guest for the Salute to Veterans was Gunnery Sergeant William “Red” Davidson, who participated in last November’s Hunting with Heroes event in the Lakota area. Davidson, who lives in Jacksonville, NC, says the hunting trip was the experience of a lifetime.

     “I love it up here,” said Davidson. He says usually people will just throw in money to support an event, but he’s impressed with how people here donate not just their money but also their time to support Hunting with Heroes. “It’s not something you experience everywhere you go.”

     About 40 volunteers came out to help Hunting with Heroes make this year’s Salute to Veterans possible.