It all started with a pickup truck.

That was the gift Amanda Smith wanted to give her husband, a veteran who was in Operation Desert Storm, for Father's Day. However, after talking with a friend, Smith realized she could give her husband more than a vehicle.

Smith partnered with Show Shine Detail, Evolve Graphic Solutions, Platinum Auto Glass, Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson, Classic Custom Builders, Laser Oilfield, Rocky Mountain Suspension, Woodstock Corp. and Howitzer Clothing to turn the gift into a full-blown event.

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At 4 p.m. on May 28, Smith and her partners will lead a patriotic parade of vehicles to Evolve Graphic Solutions, where they will surprise her husband with the truck. Cowboy's Crawfish will boil 300 pounds of crawfish for guests to enjoy.

"We chose Memorial Day because it's a day that is not a good day for our veterans," said Smith in our "Tuned In to NoCo" interview. "This can be a time of hope instead of mourning. What more would our fallen want than to look down and see their brothers taking care of each other, instead of suffering in silence?"

The event will also serve as a launching pad for Operations Veterans Blessing Veterans, an organization Smith is working on that will "bless" a specific veteran each year in a pay-it-forward style event.

Smith hopes the organization will not only provide solace to veterans, but also remind the public about the true meaning of Memorial Day.

"We get a three-day weekend and lose sight of what it's really about," said Smith. "We have the freedom to be where we're at and to do the things that we are doing because of those men that wrote a blank check and risked it all."

Learn more about the event and Operations Veterans Blessing Veterans by listening to the full "Tuned In to NoCo" interview with Amanda Smith below.

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