HOMETOWN HEROES™
The Big Hoopla is a proud supporter of the Hometown Heroes™ program.
Founded in 2012, The Big Hoopla has supported the Dayton area military community by donating over 137,500 tickets to Airmen/Guardians/civilians and their families at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Veterans, and local students since inception. “These efforts branch out to foster sustainable and continued economic growth in our region,” says Terry Slaybaugh, Volunteer Chair of The Big Hoopla. “A natural partnership between The Big Hoopla and Hometown Heroes™ preserves the commitment our area volunteers and businesses have towards our own hometown military families.”
The Dayton Development Coalition’s Hometown Heroes™ program honors our community’s servicemen and women affiliated with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Air National Guard base in Springfield. The program began in 2003 and has grown with the generosity of local businesses to support thousands of military families in the region. For more information about the program, visit daytonregion.com/military/hometown-heroes.
MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHT
Friday, July 18, 2025 – 8:00 PM
Riley Green has been compelling Country music fans to raise a drink, shed a tear, and, above all, celebrate where they are from, since first releasing his self-titled EP in 2018 with Big Machine Label Group. His songs like the No. 1 PLATINUM hit “There Was This Girl,” the 3X-PLATINUM-certified heart-tugger “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” (which he performed live at the 55th ACM Awards), and his chart-topping collab with Thomas Rhett, “Half of Me,” have made Riley synonymous with what Country music does best: making listeners feel something with his no-gimmick, relatable writing and classic feel.
