April 05, 2006 10:21 AM US Eastern Timezone

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President George W. Bush, the Cincinnati Reds and Impact Player Partners Provide a Special Day That Two Wounded Veterans and a Gold Star Father Will Never Forget

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 2006--This past Monday, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch to start the season for the Cincinnati Reds. Joining the President on the mound were three special people who included: two wounded military heroes - Sergeant First Class Mike McNaughton, Sergeant Paul Brondhaver and a Gold Star Father, John Prazynski.

This special occasion was made possible by the White House, the Cincinnati Reds and Impact Player Partners, a non-profit which provides emotional and financial support for military heroes wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"One of Impact Player Partners (IPP) programs is "Heroes Meeting Heroes," said IPP founder Dick Lynch. "Having these three heroes honored by 40,000 avid Cincinnati Reds baseball fans and the President of the United States shows the depth of respect that President George W. Bush, the Cincinnati Reds, Bud Selig, Major League Baseball and a vast majority of all Americans have for those who place themselves in harms way for our freedom."

Great American Ball Park literally shook from the thunderous roar that accompanied each hero introduction. SFC Mike McNaughton lost his right leg above the knee, two fingers and a chunk of his left calf to a mine in Afghanistan. Sergeant Paul Brondhaver's mid section was riddled with bullets and shrapnel in a firefight in Iraq and John Prazynski's son Lance Corporal Taylor Prazynski was killed in action in Iraq.

"I would like to thank the Cincinnati Reds, the Castellini family (owners of the Reds), U.S. Senator Mike DeWine, Impact Player Partners and President George W. Bush," said Gold Star Father John Prazynski. "By joining President Bush on the mound we wanted to acknowledge the support that President George W. Bush has from the Prazynski family, the McNaughton family, the Brondhaver family and give him two thumbs up with his positive stance on security, military and veteran's issues."

All America is invited to meet, thank and support fifty severely wounded Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom heroes during the 2nd annual Impact A Hero Weekend June 3-5, 2006 in Houston, TX. Impact Player Partners provides emotional, financial and career support for our War on Terror wounded heroes. Please visit their web site at www.impactahero.org for more information on the Impact A Hero Weekend.