Meet the committee members: Steve Lee

For the past five years, committee members have worked tirelessly to make the USO Riverfest Gala a success. Each member has a unique path that led them to become involved in the event. Below is Steve Lee’s story about why he keeps coming back.

“This whole event got started because of a dinner I had with several retired military servicemen. I had seen a television program about Ward 57 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and I asked them what kind of challenged these injured men and women would face going forward. That question led to a five hour conversation that night, and another five hour conversation the next day. After talking to these men, all I could say was ‘How can I help?’

A few weeks later I had the privilege of talking with the President of the USO, Elaine Rodgers, and visited Walter Reed. When I got back, Dean Gregory and I got together and thought the Labor Day Weekend fireworks would be a great time for an event. From there we made some calls, and those people made calls; the first year we had 650 guests and were off to a really good start. Since then we have raised more than $1 million, and all that money helps finance USO-Metro programs, specifically at Walter Reed and Bethesda, for wounded soldiers and their families.

The Riverfest Gala is a way for everyone to support the soldiers. The freedoms we enjoy in this country are paid for by their courage, bravery and blood. This is a chance to visit with and touch a soldier and personally thank them for the sacrifices they make.

The Soldier’s Creed really sums up why I do this event; one line reads ‘I will never leave a fallen comrade.’ They are certainly our comrades, and we will never leave them behind. We can’t let them think for a minute that there aren’t people everywhere in this country that care about and appreciate what they are doing for us. One of the last lines in the creed reads ‘I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.’ We need to make sure all the countries of the world know how the American people feel about our military.

When you meet these soldiers and their families Labor Day weekend it will be one of the best weekends you will ever spend in your life. The smiles on their faces are because they know the people of Cincinnati appreciate them.”

Steve Lee is Senior Vice President at a major financial services firm and has served on the board of directors at USO-Metro for the past four years.