LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – “Give something to those who gave,” is the motto of the Veteran Tickets Foundation, also known as Vet Tix.
The foundation provides the military community with free event tickets ranging from concerts to professional sports games, comedy shows, and more.
When Steve Weintraub first heard about the national nonprofit while he was still in the Marine Corps Reserves.
So when he was asked to become Vet Tix Chief Strategy Officer, he knew this was his way to help others.
“You miss family events when you’re deployed or when you’re on duty,” Weintraub said. “You miss life events so if we can send our members what we call Vettixers to these events with their friends and family as a way to make up for lost time, rebuild these bonds, it’ll really help them with the reintegration back into society.”
Weintraub said too many service members spend time in isolation and this helps get them back in society.
“A lot of veterans, service members, and first responders don’t like being in crowds. They don’t like the loud noise and being around people but again they’re sitting among their tribe and that helps reduce that anxiety, it builds a community and helps with their isolation and challenges with PTS or other things they might have experienced during their service,” Weintraub added.
Jimmy DePew is a U.S. Air Force veteran and a volunteer activity coordinator with U.S. Vets. an organization helping at-risk veterans.
“It’s a big deal for them because they get to leave the transitional housing facility,” DePew explained. “They don’t have income you know or unless they’re getting it from the VA or they’re retired so they can’t afford to go to these things, so Vet Tix allows them to have the opportunity to go out and do things.”
DePew said being able to attend these events with other service members has helped create a sense of brotherhood.
“I took a Vietnam Vet guy to the Southpoint 400,” DePew said. “He had never been to NASCAR and for me being able to take him there, I was able to get closer to him and able to build that relationship and he’s able to tell me things from his experiences in Vietnam and I was able to talk to him about Iraq and Afghanistan and we’ve gotten closer.”
Weintraub says there are over 40,000 Vet Tix members in Las Vegas. Once you sign up, you can see and apply to all the local events coming up in your area.
For more information, click HERE.
