Veterans Day Freebies and Discounts for 2020!

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Veterans Day is to honor those who have fought for our country and businesses across the nation are offering special deals and discounts to show their support on Veterans Day.

Whether you are celebrating at home or in a socially distanced matter, here are some incredible opportunities you won’t want to miss.

All offers will be for both active duty military and veterans unless otherwise stated.

Be sure to check each restaurant’s website for details like military qualifications, restaurant participation, COVID restrictions and more.

 

 

Food and Drink

  • Applebee’s: One free meal from a select menu for dine-in customers
  • BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery: One free meal valued up to $14.95
  • Bob Evans: One free meal from a select menu
  • Buffalo Wild Wings: Veterans and active military who dine-in with Buffalo Wild Wings can receive a free order of boneless wings and a side of fries.
  • Calhoun’s: One free meal
  • California Pizza Kitchen: One free meal from a select menu, provide proof of military service or come in uniform.
  • Chili’s: One free meal with military ID.
  • Coco’s Restaurant and Bakery: One free slice of pie, plus a special buy one get one free special for any entree
  • Cracker Barrel: One free slice of double fudge Coca-Cola cake with a meal purchase. Discounts will additionally be available in Cracker Barrel stores through the month of November.
  • Denny’s: One free “Build your own Grand Slam” from 5am-noon, must show proof of service.
  • Dunkin Donuts: One free donut, no purchase necessary.
  • Famous Dave’s: One free two meat combo
  • Golden Corral: During the month of November, Golden Corral are offering free meal cards to active and veteran military personnel that can be used for a lunch or dinner through May 31, 2021.
  • Juice it Up: One free 20oz classic smoothie
  • Kolache Factory: One free kolache and one free coffee of any size with military ID
  • Little Cesar’s Pizza: One free lunch combo from 11am-2pm
  • Logan’s Roadhouse: One free meal from 3:00pm-6:00pm
  • Macaroni Grill: One free “Mom’s Ricotta Meatballs and Spaghetti” with military ID
  • O’ Charley’s Restaurant and Bar: One free meal from a select menu. O’Charley’s also has a 10% discount for active-duty military and veterans that runs all year long.
  • Red Lobster: One free appetizer or dessert
  • Starbucks: One free coffee, also eligible to military spouses.
  • Texas Roadhouse BBQ: From 11am-2pm, Veterans and active-duty military can receive a free lunch with a food voucher. Vouchers will be distributed in the parking lot of Texas Roadhouse BBQ before dining.
  • Wendy’s: Free small breakfast combo
  • Yard House:One complimentary appetizer

Recreation

Shopping

Services

 

 

Veteran Kayla Blood Takes on Monster Jam World Finals® in Soldier Fortune®

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Kayla Blood in soldier uniform smiling

A mom, Monster Jam® driver and military veteran, Kayla Blood is a force to be reckoned with. She proudly served in the Louisiana Army National Guard for six years and now brings her tenacity to the dirt, competing in Monster Jam competitions around the world.

Kayla competes in Soldier Fortune®, a camo-clad, tank-inspired Monster Jam truck dedicated to the thousands of men and women in the U.S. Military around the world. During her six years of service in the Louisiana National Guard, Kayla served full-time in Force Protection. Just as her unit received word of deployment to Afghanistan, Kayla learned she was pregnant with her son and had to stay home in Louisiana. While she wanted to serve overseas, her son is her greatest blessing, and the Guard helped lead her to so many great experiences.

Kayla is also the first female National Guard veteran driver for Monster Jam, crashing through glass ceilings as she competes in a male-dominated sport. Kayla never turns down a competition, and her signature move if an attempt goes awry? Military pushups on the wreckage.

“I want to win fair and square,” says Kayla on competing against men. “I love being able to show little girls watching that they can do whatever they set out to do and to never back down from a challenge.”

Kayla Blood took her fiercely competitive talents to Monster Jam World Finals®, the series marquee event, which took place in Orlando May 21-22, 2022. Each year, Monster Jam World Finals highlights the best of the best in Skills, Racing, High Jump and Freestyle competitions. Drivers pull out their best moves and risk it all for the championship title.

“It’s truly an honor to drive Soldier Fortune in competitions around the world and to have done so at Monster Jam World Finals,” says Kayla. “Representing the brave men and women who have served the United States is a something I take great pride in doing.”

For more information on Monster Jam World Finals and Kayla Blood, visit MonsterJam.com/WorldFinals.

Retired Army captain runs 44 miles in effort to raise awareness for veterans’ mental health

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Kyle Butters crosses finsish line carrying a U.S. flag

By Bradley Bennett, Cincinnati News

In Pasadena, Maryland, Retired Army Capt. Kyle Butters could be seen running and carrying an American flag for an important cause last weekend. “This flag has been everywhere from Afghanistan (to) Kuwait (to) Turkey,” Butters said.

More than just sentimental value, the flag he carries is the symbol of freedom and sacrifice. Butters ran 44 miles total.
It’s all to raise awareness about mental health issues facing veterans.” It’s affected me personally.

I was medically retired from the Army due to mental health issues. I’ve also lost soldiers to suicide throughout my time in the Army (and) even since I’ve been out of the Army,” Butters said. Starting in his own Pasadena neighborhood, Butters ran 4 miles every four hours for a total of 22 miles a day to represent the estimated 22 veterans who commit suicide every day.

”They think that during the COVID pandemic, that (it has) gone up by as much as 20%,” Butters said. “I chose to use running as my platform because not every veteran has the physical ability to do what I do, and people pay attention when you do big distances. ”He’s raising money with the run — more than $12,000 — to support the Infinite Hero Organization. ”They provide grants to veterans and also to research causes, whether it’s brain injury, PTSD, even physical disabilities,” Butters said. Butters said he’ll be back at it again next year and hopes this is something that can spread to other states with the ultimate goal of normalizing tough conversations that could save lives.

Read the complete article here.

Park Police to resume escorts for Honor Flight visits around Washington, D.C.

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male veteran shaking hands with female uniformed police officer in an outdoor setting

By Leo Shane III, Air Force Times

U.S. Park Police officials have agreed to resume escorts for Honor Flight events around the nation’s capital, continuing a tradition that had been interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The news came just one day before the group’s celebration on the National Mall of the 250,000th veteran transported through the program. Since 2005, officials have helped veterans from across the country visit Washington, D.C. for an opportunity to tour the war memorials and national landmarks there.
Max Lonzanida

In many cases, the veterans are elderly and in poor health, and are able to make the trip only because of the special medical and financial assistance provided by the group.

In the past, the U.S. Park Police provided escorts to tour buses filled with veterans visiting areas of the National Mall with limited parking, such as the World War II memorial and Vietnam War Memorial Wall. Honor Flight officials reimbursed the agency for the costs of the escorts.

Honor Flight activities were largely shuttered by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but resumed last fall. However, Park Police officials in recent months have told organizers they could no longer assist with the events because of bureaucratic issues with the Department of Interior.

On Monday, officials said those problems have been resolved. Escorts will resume starting June 1.

In a joint statement, officials from the Park Police, the National Mall and Memorial Parks agency and Honor Flight said they have met in recent weeks “to discuss our shared commitment to continuing to work together and the best way to safely support hosted visits while also ensuring USPP can meet its primary law enforcement and public safety mission.”

Click here to read the full article on Yahoo News.

Honor Flight Network Celebrates Milestone of Bringing 250,000 Veterans to Nation’s Capital on May 3 Event

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Honor Flight Network promo poster

To kick off Military Appreciation Month, hundreds of dignitaries, veterans, volunteers, supporters and leadership of the Honor Flight Network will gather at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the organization’s milestone of bringing 250,000 veterans to our Nation’s Capitol to visit the memorials that honor their service and sacrifice on May 3rd.

WHAT:
Event to commemorate the 250,000th participant in the Honor Flight Network program.

WHO:
– The 250,000th Commemorative Honor Flight participant and hundreds of veterans

– Volunteers, supporters and leadership of the Honor Flight Network
– The Honorable Elizabeth Dole, Event Chairperson
– Speakers include Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Donald M. Remy, Senator Jerry Moran and Congressman Mark Takano

WHY:                                    
To celebrate Honor Flight Network’s past while charting its course for the future in serving veterans from more recent eras.

WHEN:
Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 2 p.m.- 3 p.m.

WHERE:
World War II Memorial, 17th Street NW
Between Constitution Avenue NW and Independence Avenue SW.

The event includes distinguished speakers and guests, military band, Honor Guard and hundreds of seated veterans, volunteers and supporters, set against the backdrop of the World War II Memorial.

For more information visit, Honor Flight Network.

One Veteran’s Special Mother’s Day Tribute

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John Register poses with his arm around his mother both smiling

By John Register, Silver Medal Paralympian and Combat Veteran

A post to the gentle giant slayer and the best mother a boy, youngster, and man could ever hope to have had, my mother E. Dolores Register (October 23, 1933 – December 9, 2021).

The journey of grief is not easy, especially when the person you lost is your mother. The absence of a mother is one of the hardest pains in life. Today is a wonderful time to remember that mothers hold their children’s hands for a while, and in their hearts forever. While I miss her dearly, I remember how fortunate I was that she was in my life. She was my protector. I would not trade those moments for the world.

We move forward toward a greater expected hope. Hope may not be a plan, but without it we sink into despair. It is a dynamic essence that allows us to actuate a better state to realize a better existence is on the way.

As the world changes day to day, the love and memory of my mother, E Dolores Register shall never pass. – John Register

Starbucks Supports Military Community with eGift Card Donation

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starbucks employee shaking a plastic container of coffee waering a mask and green apron

The past year has placed unique stressors on those in the military, and Starbucks continues to meet the varied needs of the military community. Since 2019, Starbucks has been committed to help break the stigma around mental health through resources, advocacy and partnerships with organizations who are dedicated to improving military families’ mental health and well-being.

To extend this support: This May, for every Starbucks eGift Card in our Military Appreciation Month category sold between May 1-May 31, Starbucks will donate $5 to be divided evenly Blue Star Families and Operation Gratitude to support the mental health and well-being of our military community.

Customers can purchase an eGift card here (starting May 1).

Starbucks Military Commitment

  • Since 2013, our goal has been to hire 5,000 military Veterans and military spouses annually, and in FY21 we hired more than 7,700 across Starbucks roles in the U.S.
  • Have dedicated nearly 100 Military Family Stores across the nation to-date. Starbucks Military Family Stores are located near major military bases and are designed to hire and honor soldiers, veterans, and their families.
  • Offer partner (employee) benefits specifically for active duty military and military families, including Military Service Pay which provides up to 80 hours of pay each year when National Guard or Reserve service obligations take them away from their work with the company, as well as a Starbucks College Achievement Plan benefit that Veteran partners can extend to a qualified family member for 100% tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program.

Continued support of service organizations like Headstrong, Operation Gratitude, Blue Star Families and Team Red, White and Blue who help veterans as they transition to civilian life, continue to develop as leaders, and leverage their skills and passions to positively change communities.

Sunken Roads: Three Generations After D-Day

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Sunken Roads movie Promotional poster featuring older veterans

Don McCarthy was 20 years old on D-Day, when his infantry division landed on Omaha Beach. Don and the other veterans who survived D-Day will someday soon have passed into memory and legend.

This realization inspires 20-year-old filmmaker Charlotte Juergens to join Don and seven other D-Day vets on a journey to France – a commemorative pilgrimage to Omaha Beach for the 70th anniversary of the invasion.

The vets come to see Charlotte as a granddaughter, trusting her with their stories as they confront the trauma that still haunts them 70 years after the war.

In capturing their lives, Sunken Roads offers an intergenerational perspective on D-Day, presenting the memories of 90-year-old combat veterans through the eyes of a 20-year-old woman.
 
 
Documentary by Charlotte Juergens.

Opens November 5, 2021 on Live & Virtual Cinema.

For details, visit the website at https://www.firstrunfeatures.com/sunkenroads.html

Elite Air Force Pararescue Veteran to Serve as Grand Marshal For In-Person Return of 102nd Annual NYC Veterans Day Parade

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Grand Marshal Kevin Carrick with Air Force Rifle Team surrounding him

American veterans representing every military branch and generation of service since World War II will march up Fifth Avenue for the in-person return of New York’s Veterans Day Parade, Thursday, November 11, 2021. 

The 102nd annual Parade, produced by the United War Veterans Council (UWVC), will mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and the Global War on Terror, as well as the 30th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm.  The Parade is the largest Veterans Day event in the country.

The Parade’s Grand Marshal, representing the U.S. Air Force– this year’s featured service– is Air Force veteran and local hero Kevin Carrick, a retired Senior Master Sergeant who served for over two decades as an elite Pararescueman (“PJ”) with the 106th Rescue Wing based in Westhampton, Long Island.

These elite but little-known specialists are the only Special Forces members dedicated to saving lives.  With countless deployments to combat zones overseas, and to disaster areas at home and abroad, ranging from the first search and rescue military response at Ground Zero on 9/11 to providing support during the COVID pandemic, Kevin represents the very best of the spirit of service that drives men and women in every branch of the military.

This year’s Parade features nearly 200 marching units, including veteran groups, service providers, military units, student veterans, and veteran employee groups, JROTC and more.  Marching bands, floats and vintage vehicles will add to the celebratory atmosphere.  In addition to the Grand Marshal, the Parade will welcome back U.S. Marine Corps Desert Storm hero and 2019 Emeritus Grand Marshall Eddie Ray.

2021 Grand Marshal Kevin Carrick wearing sash and U.S. flag behind him
Grand Marshal Kevin Carrick

The Parade, which takes place rain or shine, steps off at 12:30 pm and will end around 3:30 pm.  It will proceed on its traditional route on Fifth Avenue, stepping off at 28th street and going north to 45th Street, subject to final participation and COVID-19 adjustments.  Spectators can view the Parade on Fifth Avenue, from 29th Street to its endpoint.  The Parade will be broadcast live on TV and online on WABC-TV from 12:30 to 3 p.m.

“We look forward to returning in person to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and the War on Terror, and the 30th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm,” said UWVC President and Executive Director Mark Otto.  “These milestones represent critical moments in our nation’s history when brave men and women made great sacrifices to defend our country.  We know that New Yorkers are eager to show their support for all of our veterans, and to welcome the Parade back to Fifth Avenue!”

For additional information, visit www.nycvetsday.org

ABOUT THE NYC VETERANS DAY PARADE:  The New York City Veterans Day Parade is our nation’s largest Veterans Day event. Produced by the United War Veterans Council (UWVC), the Parade provides the public with the opportunity to salute our veterans and military and raises awareness for organizations working to serve their needs.  The Parade features veteran groups and service providers, military units, youth and civic groups, top high school bands from across America, vintage vehicles, floats and more. It is supported by numerous sponsoring partners, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Fiserv, T-Mobile, Wounded Warrior Project, and Cushman & Wakefield. For more information, visit www.nycvetsday.org

ABOUT THE UNITED WAR VETERANS COUNCIL:  The United War Veterans Council, Inc. (UWVC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that honors and serves veterans.  The UWVC supports and promotes a wide range of initiatives that provide vital services to our veterans community (including health, wellness and education); raises positive awareness and increases public understanding of the needs of our veterans community through major public events and promotional activities; and brings together veterans groups, community organizations, government agencies, businesses of all sizes and the general public. For more information, visit

Disabled Veterans of America (DAV) Walk, Roll, Run and Ride 5K — Honor America’s Veterans

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DAV logo and images of veterans participating in events

DAV 5K is a walk, roll, run, and ride that thanks those who served and raises awareness of the issues our ill and injured veterans face every day.

Join us in keeping our promise to America’s veterans! There are two ways to participate, join us in-person November 6, 2021 in Cincinnati, or virtually November 6-11, 2021 from anywhere.

Click here for details and to get registered today.

About DAV
DAV is a nonprofit charity that provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families, helping more than 1 million veterans in positive, life-changing ways each year. Annually, the organization provides more than 240,000 rides to veterans attending medical appointments and assists veterans with well over 160,000 benefit claims. In 2020, DAV helped veterans receive more than $23 billion in earned benefits. DAV’s services are offered at no cost to all generations of veterans, their families and survivors.

DAV is also a leader in connecting veterans with meaningful employment, hosting job fairs and providing resources to ensure they have the opportunity to participate in the American Dream their sacrifices have made possible.

With nearly 1,300 chapters and more than 1 million members across the country, DAV empowers our nation’s heroes and their families by helping to provide the resources they need and ensuring our nation keeps the promises made to them.

Mitsubishi Motors Introduces Team ‘Record the Journey’ for 2021 Rebelle Rally

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Selena “Mason” Converse and Erin Mason are sisters-in-law, wives, mothers and combat veterans, and they are two-thirds of Mitsubishi Motors’ 2021 Rebelle Rally entry.

They’ll be joined in their 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander on the nine-day, 2000-km, all-women off-road navigational rally by Sammy, Mason’s two-and-a-half-year-old German Shepherd, the first service dog ever to compete in the Rebelle.

Altogether, Mason, Erin and Sammy are Team #207, representing Record the Journey (RTJ), a military veterans charity dedicated to helping service members successfully transition to civilian life, and advocating for PTSD awareness.

“Mitsubishi Motors’ participation in the Rebelle Rally is first and foremost about our partnership with Record the Journey and supporting Rachael Ridenour and the charity she founded to help military veterans,” said Mark Chaffin, Chief Operating Officer, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA). “This year, in addition to supporting two veterans who honorably served, we’re breaking ground with Mason and Erin competing with Sammy to raise awareness for PTSD and the potentially life-saving work that trained service dogs do. We couldn’t be more proud to see the three of them in their 2022 Outlander, and celebrating one of Mitsubishi Motors’ most significant Dakar wins.”

MMNA and RTJ have broken new ground at the Rebelle each year and are poised to do it again. Starting in 2019 – when the brand first partnered with RTJ as part of MMNA’s “Small Batch – Big Impact” social-good program – Team RTJ finished second in the Rebelle’s CUV class with the event’s first ever adaptive athlete – U.S. Air Force veteran Karah Behrend – at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.

In 2020, MMNA and RTJ marked another first for the Rebelle, competing in a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, the first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle ever to complete the grueling multi-day event. This year, MMNA and RTJ will again make history in the wilds of Nevada and Southern California, when Sammy will become the first four-footed Rebelle.

“Record the Journey couldn’t be more grateful for the support that Mitsubishi Motors and our other partners have provided to enable military veterans to have this life-changing – and life-affirming – experience,” said retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major and RTJ Founder Ridenour. “And this year is particularly important, as Sammy joins Mason and Erin to bring focus to PTSD and the important role that service dogs play for our returning heroes.”

MMNA recently shared a rendering of the vehicle that will carry Erin, Mason and Sammy through the 2021 Rebelle Rally October 7-16. The Outlander’s special paint scheme pays tribute to a history-making Dakar Rally win twenty years ago, when Jutta Kleinschmidt drove a Mitsubishi Pajero to victory in 2001, becoming the only woman ever to win the world-famous Dakar. This was only one of Mitsubishi’s 12 overall wins in the world’s most rugged motorsport competition, and the first of seven in a row.

Navigator: Erin Mason

Erin Mason smiling wearing uniform

Military Info:
Branch Served – United States Navy
Job Title – Aviation Structural Mechanic
Brief Job Description – Maintained aircraft airframe and structural components including flight surfaces and controls. Responsible for inspections, fabrication and repairs.
Years Served – 4
Deployments – 2 – Flight deck, USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier, Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal, Red Sea, as well as the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea
Duty Stations – Naval Air Station Oceana
Last Rank Earned – E-4 Petty Officer

Personal Info:
Hometown – Wildomar, CA

Current Residence – Quitman, TX

Age – 32
Marital Status – Married, 7 yrs.

Number of Children – 2

Current Job – Owner & Farmer, Mason Wholesale Greenhouses – Plant Nursery Airport; Manager, Collins Field Regional Airport

 

Driver: Selena “Mason” Converse

Selena "Mason" Converse

Military Info:
Branch Served – United States Air Force

Job Title – Emergency Medical Services Technician – EMT
Brief Job Description – Provided emergency medical care in both combat and non-combat situations. Instructed EMT Certification Courses (NREMT) for incoming Air Force Medics and Navy Corpsman.
Years Served – 12.75 yrs.
Deployments – 1 – Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan

Duty Stations – MacDill Air Force Base (Florida), Grand Forks AFB (North Dakota), Mountain Home AFB (Idaho), Fort Sam Houston (Texas)
Last Rank Earned – E-6 Technical Sergeant

Personal Info:

Hometown – Quitman, TX

Current Residence – Hurricane, UT

Age – 37
Marital Status – Married, 17 yrs.

Number of Children – 3

Current Job – Owner of Mason Converse Media. MCM Provides Off-Road / Adventure Photo & Video Content Creation, as well as social media services for off-road, adventure, and travel/tourism companies.

 

Service Dog: Sammy

Sammy the dog smiling

 

Breed – German Shepherd

Color – Black
Age – 2.75 yrs.
Birthplace – Colorado
Service Dog Type – PTSD
Services Provided – Guarding/Protection Alerts, Anxiety Regulation, Night Terror Management, and Social Situation Guide Tasks.

Preferred Pastime When Not Working: Non-stop Frisbee!

Service Dog Info:

https://usserviceanimals.org/blog/ptsd-service-dog-tasks/

In addition to honoring the 20th anniversary of Kleinschmidt’s momentous win, MMNA is also celebrating the brand’s 40th anniversary in the United States this year.

Alongside Mitsubishi Motors North America, Ally Financial, Inc., BFGoodrich Tires, Nextbase Dash Cams and Vision Wheel are partnering with Team RTJ this year, and Skout’s Honor Pet Supply Co. is providing special support to Sammy.

About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. MMNA was the top-ranked Japanese brand in the J.D. Power 2021 Initial Quality Study. In its Environmental Targets 2030, MMNA’s parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has set a goal of a 40 percent reduction in the CO2 emissions of its new cars by 2030 through leveraging EVs — with PHEVs as the centerpiece — to help create a sustainable society.

With headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, and corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, Florida and Virginia, MMNA directly and indirectly employs more than 8,000 people across the United States.

For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at 615- 257-2698 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com.

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  1. City Career Fair
    January 19, 2022 - November 4, 2022
  2. The Small Business Expo–Multiple Event Dates
    February 17, 2022 - December 1, 2022
  3. Multiple Hire GI Hiring Events During June-December!
    June 21, 2022 - December 8, 2022
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    July 13, 2022
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