Colorado Army National Guard Soldier earns title of Local Hero, donates grant to Colorado National Guard Foundation
Captain Rob Bingham, Company Commander of HHC/2-135th Aviation Battalion, was awarded with the title of Local Hero by Charles Schwab due to his work with local Veteran nonprofit organizations.
Along with the title, Bingham was awarded a $25,000 grant to direct to the nonprofit and program of his choosing. He has chosen the Colorado National Guard Foundation, Inc. which awards interest-free loans and grants to Soldiers and Airmen who are in need of emergency assistance. This can be for medical emergencies, late pay, and loss of residence through man-made or natural disaster, death or other family crises and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The families of the Colorado Guard are close to his heart, especially during these uncertain days of the COVID-19 pandemic. This grant comes at a crucial time to support families who have lost loved ones, jobs, and income.
It’s an honor for me to help out those I care for most. The men and women in uniform that show up and support a community in need, those are the people I wanted this grant to support.
Since 2014, Bingham has lead the Denver Veterans Day Parade & Festival rejuvenating the event and bringing a crowd of over 40,000 spectators to celebrate local Veterans. Bingham is the Founder and Executive Director of Colorado Veterans Project, a nonprofit organization that hosts special events to raise awareness and funds for Veterans and Veteran service organizations in Colorado. To this date, his organization has raised over $1.6 million dollars in support of their mission.
Building a stronger, more supportive community around Veterans, that is part of our mission statement and a sentiment that we hold very dear. Each initiative we take, we keep that goal and result close in mind. The award is an honor but it’s more of an honor to be able take care of those in need.
Captain Bingham is currently deployed to Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo with Task Force Aviation, an element from 2-135th Aviation from Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, CO. The element is set to return home in November 2020.
For more information about the Colorado Veterans Project go to: www.coloradoveteransproject.org.
