SAN ANTONIO – Veteran Nicholas Navarro is leading the charge in fundraising for Hero Hut, a veteran’s organization, with unique portraits built piece by piece.
Hero Hut puts on a free tailgate at the Valero Alamo Bowl each year. The tailgate is free and encourages veterans to attend, have fun with their families and other veterans and then get resources that tend to be stigmatized.
“This is the sort of event where you bring the fun to the forefront and the resource element as a background character, it’s never been done,” Victor Salazar of the Alamo Veterans Network Program said.
Ahead of this year’s fundraiser, Navarro developed a hobby making portraits of celebrities out of Legos.
“Each portrait is 11,520 Legos and that is about 60 hours of work for each portrait,” Navarro said.
Navarro has struggled with PTSD since his retirement from the military and uses his ability to create portraits out of Legos as a way to ease his trauma. He also understands the importance of having access to the mental health support and resources provided to veterans at events like Hero Hut’s tailgate.
“You’re not just going to the tailgate, you’re getting those resources in a different environment,” Adrian Ramirez with Hero Hut San Antonio said.
“We’ve been trying to push this out there to help raise money for veterans,” Navarro said. “I want to make a difference and make an impact in the community.”
People can purchase raffle tickets for five dollars each to get a chance at winning a Lego portrait of San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. Navarro made the portrait himself and the proceeds from this raffle will go towards Hero Hut.
“I’m just hoping that maybe it’ll raise a lot, but my goal is to make a difference,” Navarro said.
The Valero Alamo Bowl is Tuesday, Dec. 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Hero Hut tailgate is free to the public, begins at 11 a.m. and will continue until the game’s halftime.
There will be food, drinks, free haircuts and beard trims and several sponsors will be there in addition to the resources like TVC for veterans.
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