CHL Mississippi RiverKings

RiverKings to host 125 soldiers and families before send-off to Iraq

Published on December 29, 2004 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


SOUTHAVEN—Liz Adams will be standing up, cheering on the RiverKings and visiting with her family during the RiverKings Thursday, Dec. 30 game against the Oklahoma City Blazers—part of her Christmas present. But the game itself is not the gift: her best Christmas gift this year is having her husband, SFC Dennis Adams of the Troop A/98th Cavalry National Guard unit home for the holidays.

The Hernando, Miss-based National Guard unit leaves Jan. 1 for an 18-month tour of duty in Iraq. The 98th Cavalry has been gone from home for training since August. They returned home Dec. 22 for a short furlough before deployment.

"It's grueling all the training they have to go through just to go over there," Adams said, whose youngest brother, CPL Ben Estes, 22, is also part of the troop. "It's amazing how much they have to give up to go and take care of things."

The RiverKings are hosting the men and their families at the game as a thank-you for their service to families of DeSoto County and the United States. Adams said that there will be families in the group who rescheduled their travel time so they could go to the game.

"Everybody is really looking forward to Thursday night," Adams said. "It will be good for people to get out with their families and relax a little.

"It has been such a blessing having them home for Christmas. You just savor all the moments because you know they won't be here next year."

Adams works with the DeSoto County Military Family Support group, which aids the soldiers and helps soldiers' family members while the soldiers are deployed.

"We have expectant moms, women with children under 2, spouses who are going to possibly be encountering some scary situations by themselves," Adams said. "We don't want them to feel alone. If they are at the hospital, or if a pipe bursts, or they get a flat tire or their car breaks down, we want them to be able to call somebody.

"The spouses are going to learn how to do a lot of things they've never done before. Maybe it's taking care of financial things, learning to pay the bills. We are going to need each other when the guys leave. We have to depend on one another."

The group is always looking for volunteers. They also accept donations, whether it's chap stick, baby wipes for the soldiers in the field or free babysitting for a mom who needs to get her grocery shopping done. Most precious of all, perhaps, are people's prayers for the soldiers.

"I pray every day for their safety, for their safe return," she said. "We pray every day for these men we are so very, very proud of."

To volunteer or donate to DeSoto County Military Family Support, call Adams at 901-262-1208 or Lee Caldwell at 901-340-2400. For more information or tickets to the RiverKings game on Thursday, Dec. 30, call 662-342-1755.

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Central Hockey League Stories from December 29, 2004


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