Organizers hope the schedule of events planned for the third annual Lt. Dan Weekend in Beaufort will attract thousands of participants and generate lots of support for wounded veterans.
 LDW3 activities begin with a silent auction and banquet on Wednesday, September 13 at the Holiday Inn on Boundary Street, Beaufort. It will feature internationally known professional fishermen O’Neill Williams of NBC Sports and Flip Pallot of The Outdoor Channel and other networks. The two will also lead fishing clinics Thursday, September 13 at Palm Key Nature Resort in Ridgeland. 
A golf tournament is scheduled Friday, September 14 at Sanctuary Golf course on Cat Island and a family-friendly ‘Vetpalooza’ concert is planned that evening at Waterfront Park in Beaufort. The concert is $10 and free for those with military ID cards.  It will feature performances by rock musicians who are also disabled veterans including Lt Col Mike Corrado, USMC, double amputee Dale Beatty and Outlaw 21. Country star Rockie Lynn, whose single ‘Lipstick” made the top 30, will headline.
A cycling competition and 5K run is scheduled Saturday, September 15 at MCAS. A concert by Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band will culminate the list of fundraising events that evening at 7 p.m. at Waterfront Park. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
Funds raised from all events and the sale of American “Freedom Flag” keepsakes will benefit the non-profit Independence Fund, which provides equipment and services to badly wounded veterans of recent wars. For more information or to register for any of these events, visit www.ldw3.com.
The Island News is a proud sponsor of the L. Dan Weekend 3.

LDW3 Schedule of Events:
 
Wednesday, Sept. 12: LDW3 Silent Auction and Banquet at Holiday Inn, 6 p.m.
O’Neill Williams, host of the popular television series, “O’Neill Outside” will be joined by legendary fly fisherman and author, Flip Pallot, star and host of Ford’s Fishing Frontiers and the Walker’s Cay Chronicles as guests of honor at the LDW3 Silent Auction and Banquet. This will be an opportunity to hear and meet two fishing legends and American hero, Jesse Acosta, who was blinded during a mortar attack in Iraq in 2006. One hundred healing heroes and their caregivers will also be in attendance. Tickets are $75.  An additional, optional donation of $25 will help provide a meal for a veteran or caregiver.
Earlier on Wednesday, Williams will film a segment “O’Neill Outside” with Acosta as his guest and Captain Tuck Scott from Baystreet Outfitters. They will be fishing and filming on the Broad River.
Thursday, Sept. 13: Fly Casting Clinic at Palm Key Nature Resort, 12 p.m.
Flip Pallot will conduct a fly casting clinic for the public. The cost is $100.00 and space is limited.  Also at noon, O’Neill Williams will conduct bass/redfish fishing clinics. Other activities include a fly tying seminar for the vets and a limited number of public participants led by John Holbrook and members of the Sea Island Fly Fishers Club. Participants will learn to tie a variation of the Bay Street Bunny. The variation, conceived by Tony Royal, will have purple eyes to signify the Purple Heart, a green body signifying the renewal of our troops and a pink tail signifying the love our nation feels for our valiant men and women in arms.
Friday, Sept. 14: 3rd Annual Lt Dan Golf Classic (Scramble) at Cat Island, 9:30 a.m.
3rd Annual Lt Dan Golf Classic (Scramble) begins with check-in and late registration (subject to availability) at 9:30 a.m. and a shotgun start at 11 a.m. Green fees, cart, on-course water, lunch and prizes are included. There will be three flights and prizes for the top two foursomes in each flight. All par threes will be closest to the pin prize opportunities; there will be a putting contest and a longest drive prize for men and women as well. There are only 110 golfing slots available (we anticipate a number of healing heroes will also play) so early sign up is recommended. The cost is $80 per person through August 14 (paid online or post marked by that date) and $100 thereafter. For more information visit www.ldw4.com or contact Robert deTreville at redetreville@sprintmail.com or (843) 379-8877 (home), (843) 473-5165 (cell).
For those who don’t wish to golf, professional guides from Bay Street Outfitters, along with members from the Sea Island Fly Fishers Club and the Beaufort Sportfish and Dive Club will be available to take veterans fishing during the day on Friday.
 Friday, Sept. 14: Vetpalooza Military Tribute Concert, at Waterfront Park, Beaufort, 7 p.m.
A family-friendly “Vetpalooza” concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Waterfront Park.  It will feature performances by Lt Col Mike Corrado, USMC, and his band “Machine Gun” from Wilmington, NC,  Iraq veteran and double amputee Dale Beatty and Outlaw 21. 82nd Airborne Division veteran Rockie Lynn and his band will headline the show.  Rockie Lynne has appeared nationally on “Good Morning America,” The Grand Ole Opry “Live” and Fox News. His debut single, “Lipstick,” was a top 30 hit. Admission is $10 and free for active duty military and their families.
Saturday, Sept. 15: Independence Ride and 5K Run at MCAS, 8 a.m.
Cycling is one of the best vehicles for breaking down the barriers between the able-bodied and disabled communities. For the veterans, many of whom have not been physically challenged since their injuries, the competition brings back memories and the sense of accomplishment from their days of doing 25-mile hikes.  Their participation, in spite of their challenges, shows that they can still do it. Riding alongside able-bodied participants further empowers them and the experience is life changing for all.
On- site registration opens at 8 a.m. at MCAS, Beaufort. Participants may also register online at
http://www.active.com/running/beaufort-sc/ldw3-independence-5k-run-and-ride-2012. Registration before Aug. 17 guarantees a t-shirt. Cost is $25 for active duty military and $30 for others.
Saturday, Sept. 15: Lt Dan Band Concert at Waterfront Park, Beaufort, 7 p.m.
The finale of LDW3 will be the Lt. Dan Band concert with opening performances by Bounty Hunter, a Beaufort band with a large local following, and Nashville recording artist Berry Michael. Gary Sinise and his Lt Dan Band will begin at 8:30. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on Sept 15. This year marks the third that Sinise and his band have performed for The Independence Fund in support of severely wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Purchase by Sept.7: Freedom Flags
The Independence Fund is also raising money through the sales of American “Freedom Flags.”  The flags are being sold for $100 and will line Beaufort’s Waterfront Park during the Lt. Dan Weekend. The 12” x 18” American-made flags will be individualized with the name of the business, organization or individual the purchaser wishes to honor. They will be secured to the fence surrounding the concert at the park.  After the final show, purchasers may take their flag home as a keepsake or flags will be mailed to them. Purchase online at www.ldw3.com. 

The Independence Fund, Inc. EIN (Tax ID Number): 26-0322088 W: 434.409.0506 www.independencefund.org.