Troopathon, the Internet broadcast that raises millions of dollars each year to help American soldiers fighting abroad, kicks off Thursday and will include a special guest of honor: talk-radio giant Rush Limbaugh.
"Rush is an absolute powerhouse in the United States and abroad, and a tireless advocate for the troops," Troopathon spokesman Levi Russell tells Newsmax.
Broadcast from the Richard M. Nixon Library in Orange County, Calif., the program will offer viewers what's being billed as "an exclusive, private conservation" with the No. 1 talk radio host.
The Troopathon, presented by the Move America Forward nonprofit organization dedicated "to preserving America's heritage of freedom and liberty," runs from 4 p.m. to midnight Eastern Time today.
Among the other celebrities expected to appear at this year's event: Newsmax magazine columnist Dr. Laura, actor Gary Sinise, comedian-patriots Dennis Miller and Victoria Jackson, and conservative talk icons Laura Ingraham and Mark Levin.
The show will be streaming live at Troopathon.org, where more information is available.
"We are thrilled to have someone as intelligent and influential join our historic broadcast," Russell tells Newsmax. "Rush joining us helps raise the already star-studded profile of the event, and will go a long way toward helping us achieve our goals."
The organization is aiming to send its largest ever shipment of care packages to the soldiers this year.
In 2009, the Troopathon raised more than $2 million — enough to ship more than 165 tons of care packages to U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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