Noted actor to serve as special guest and awards presenter at charity's biggest annual event
Kevin McKidd, a Scottish film and TV actor who plays Dr. Owen Hunt on "Grey's Anatomy," is in Washington, D.C., this week to attend the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation's (PenFed Foundation) seventh annual Night of Heroes Gala tonight as a special guest and awards presenter. The event will honor wounded military heroes and those of the medical community who provide the continuum of care from the battlefield to the home front. McKidd received widespread acclaim for his portrayal of an Army veteran surgeon who served in Iraq and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on ABC's hit TV series "Grey's Anatomy."
"We are looking forward to having Mr. McKidd as an honored guest and presenter at this year's gala," said Christopher Flynn, president and chief executive officer of the PenFed Foundation. "His portrayal of a veteran with PTSD is greatly respected within the military community for its realism and honesty. What his character represents is another way to bring attention to the issue of PTSD while honoring the military medical community."
Born and raised in Scotland, McKidd has had a diverse career, playing a doomed drug addict in "Trainspotting," a brooding Caesar-era soldier in HBO's "Rome" and a comical Scottish lord in the upcoming Pixar movie "Brave."
This week, he will be in Washington to attend the PenFed Foundation's seventh annual Night of Heroes Gala as an awards presenter and special guest alongside General James N. Mattis, the current commander of the United States Central Command; General (Ret) Barry McCaffrey; author and co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation Lee Woodruff; and journalist and writer and producer of "The Hurt Locker" Mark Boal. Lieutenant General (Ret) James Peake, former secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs and former surgeon general of the Army, will receive the American Hero Award for his services. The Battlefield Medic, the Critical Care Air Transport Team, Trauma Surgeons, Air Ambulance, Nurse Corps and the Department of Veterans Affairs will all receive the Military Hero Award for their medical contributions.
While in Washington, McKidd will also meet with military trauma surgeons and critical care doctors as well as the leadership team from the PenFed Foundation who themselves are veterans.
"Despite the popularity of military themes in TV and movies, it's hard to find a portrayal as genuine as Mr. McKidd's work on 'Grey's Anatomy,'" adds Flynn. "And we are honored to have him join us this year to honor such a special part of our military community."
About the PenFed Foundation
The PenFed Foundation is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization working to meet the unmet needs of military personnel and their families.
Contacts:
Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation
Alison Beckwith,
301-699-0148
media@pentagonfoundation.org
