San Francisco, CA, Nov. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than 500 community supporters will join the event to pay tribute to Swords to Plowshares tireless efforts to end veteran homelessness and honor the veterans they serve. This year, Swords to Plowshares recognizes the dedicated commitment of their long-standing pro bono partner Morrison & Foerster LLP, and honors United States Marine Corps veteran LaRance Braggs, and United States Marine Corps veteran Bruce Calderon with the Profiles of Courage award. The Master of Ceremony will be Michael Krasny, the host of KQED’s award-winning Forum.
Swords to Plowshares 23rd Annual Veterans Day Dinner, Profiles of Courage Awards
Friday, November 8, 2019; 5:30 PM- 9:30 PM
Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
“We take tremendous pride in demonstrating the impact of our work and our veteran clients who overcame incredible obstacles in their transition from combat to community,” said Swords to Plowshares Executive Director Michael Blecker. “As a Vietnam veteran myself, their stories inspire me. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Veterans Day than honoring these vets who have come so far.”
The following awardees will be recognized:
Pro Bono Partner of the Year
The law firm Morrison & Foerster LLP will be named the 2019 Pro Bono Partner of the Year. The firm has provided support to Swords to Plowshares for nearly 20 years with leadership on their Board of Directors, providing legal counseling at legal clinics, taking on full representation of veterans’ cases, and most notably working on impact litigation lawsuits. Stacey Sprenkel, a partner in the San Francisco office who is the head of litigation and a national expert in veteran law, will accept the award on behalf of Morrison & Foerster LLP. Attorney John Keker, a founding partner at the law firm of Keker, Van Nest, & Peters LLP, will present the award.
Profiles of Courage Honorees
LaRance Braggs, a United States Marine Corps veteran who served consecutive deployments to Kosovo and Afghanistan and father of two, overcame homelessness with housing and employment assistance from Swords to Plowshares Oakland Service Center. Bruce Calderon, a United States Marine Corps combat veteran who served on a deployment to Afghanistan and was stationed overseas in Japan and South Korea, was a client of Swords to Plowshares Oakland Service Center and is now a student at UC Hastings College of the Law. Their stories speak to the full range of services that Swords to Plowshares provides and illustrates the success of the organization’s nationally recognized programs.
“The services that we offer empower veterans to live meaningful and productive lives. We restore dignity and hope to veterans in need daily. Our Veterans Day Dinner allows us to raise the crucial funds needed to serve San Francisco’s veteran population. Without support from the community, our work would not be possible,” said Mr. Blecker.
Premier sponsors of the 23rd Annual Veterans Day Dinner include: Qatalyst Partners; the Morrison Foerster Foundation; Facebook; William & Sherrie Millichap; Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP and John & Tina Keker; the RHE Charitable Foundation; Zephyr Real Estate; Seyfarth Shaw LLP; Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP; Cooley LLP; Latham & Watkins LLP; Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP; and Chevron.
About Swords to Plowshares:
Founded in 1974, Swords to Plowshares is a community-based not-for-profit organization that provides counseling and case management, rapid re-housing and eviction prevention services, employment and training, supportive housing, and legal benefits assistance for low-income, homeless and at-risk veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area. Swords to Plowshares promotes and protects the rights of veterans through advocacy, public education, and partnerships with local, state and national entities. Learn more about the work of Swords to Plowshares, and ways in which you can help, by visiting our website at http://www.stp-sf.org.
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