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Angels Add Wings to Soldier's Drum Hike for Fellow Troops

Soldiers' Angels proudly supports former US Army Specialist Troy Yocum as he hikes and drums 7000 miles across America, raising needed funds for military families. The 16-month journey, beginning April 17, will cross 30 states and 37 major cities in effort to "drum up" donations, support and awareness for military families who need financial assistance. Funds raised will be distributed through Soldiers' Angels, which is supplying the custom- painted chase vehicle for Yocum's journey.

Throughout his Drum Hike, Yocum will also carry a custom Louisville Slugger baseball bat for Mayors and Governors to sign, assisting the Soldiers' Angels' bid to declare Oct. 26 "Day of the Deployed," a national day of honor. Yocum will present the bat to the White House on May 11, 2011.

"It means the world to me to have Soldiers' Angels behind me," Yocum Says. "I don't think I could've garnered the support I already have without them. More than any other organization, Soldiers' Angels has believed in me from the beginning. Their continued faith in my project has brought everything together."

Benefit events associated with the Hike will span the nation, including motorcycle rallies by Patriot Guard Riders, a Blue Star Mothers convention, mini marathons, concerts and meet-and-greets. "Flags across the U.S.A." will follow Yocum in several cities with an official Flag Truck flying the largest American flag to trail a licensed vehicle," and the "American Flag Parachutist," Dallas Wittgenfeld, will skydive into cities, announcing Troy's arrival.

Throughout the Hike, Yocum will loop the bases at over 20 MLB/Minor League Baseball stadiums, team up with "Heroes of the Diamond" to entertain fans and honor America with patriotic events at stadiums, and will participate in ceremonies to rename America's highways for fallen heroes of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Yocum will live-stream his journey, presenting a video blog and interviewing US veterans on DrumHike.com while tracking his progress on Google Earth. All Americans are encouraged to join the Hike in various ways, proving that Yocum is not alone in his quest to help veterans.

Established in 2003, Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as veterans and military families through a wide variety of hands-on projects and volunteerism. For more information, visit www.soldiersangels.org or call 615-676-0239. Tax ID# 20-0583415

You can drum across america, following Troy Yocum's adventures, at his website.