Weekend Ticket: More than balloons filling up weekend

Published 12:07 am Thursday, October 17, 2013

NATCHEZ — Dozens of hot-air balloons will color the skies starting tomorrow, but there is more to do this weekend in the Miss-Lou than just the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race.

Miss-Lou Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Retreat Team meet and greet

A team of veterans nonprofit volunteers, race car driver Joel Willman and decorated Marine combat veteran Richard Brewer will greet visitors from 6-9 p.m. today on the bluff.

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The team will also be on the bluff from noon until 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The team is a partnership of organizations that include Home With Heroes, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting and honoring veterans and their loved ones through various projects, One Warrior Won, Redneck Adventures and groups.

The team is planning at least six retreats annually for veterans in need of help with issues suffered in their service to America.

Willman’s PTSD car, which is wrapped in red, white and blue and the PTSD Retreat logo, will be on the bluff.

Brewer, of One Warrior Won, is a true hero, a decorated combat Marine, who survived the terrible suicide bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut in Lebanon in 1983. In that attack, 241 American troops were killed. Brewer risked his own life several times to aid victims.

He will have with him Joel Connick, Marine Corps veteran who was wounded in Iraq, and operations manager for One Warrior Won, and Jane Case, Marine Corps veteran and research analyst for One Warrior Won.

Brewer founded One Warrior Won to help veterans like himself who have been beset with combat-related stress, which in the old wars was called “shellshock.”

Photos with the team will be available, free flags will be given out, and Redneck Adventures will give away an outdoor adventure trip.

Friday forum

This week’s speakers will be Helen Brooks of the Natchez Farmers Market, who will be discussing the market and Kay Jenkins of Natchez Regional Medical Center, discussing nutrition. The event begins at 8 a.m. Friday at Natchez Coffee Company

Kitten adoption day

The Natchez-Adams County Humane Society is hosting a kitten adoption day from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday at Tractor Supply on U.S. 61 North.

Two kittens are available for the adoption price of one.

Adoptions are $35, which includes the spaying and neutering.

Friday football

Adams County Christian School will host Central Hinds and Vidalia High School will host Marksville High School. Jefferson County High School will host Wesson. Centreville Academy will host Amite School Center. Wilkinson County will host Hazlehurst. Franklin County will host Crystal Springs. Natchez High, Cathedral and Ferriday High School are on the road.

All games begin at 7 p.m. Friday.