LIT Foundation Honors First Responders at 24th Annual Salute to the Real American Heroes

9/5/2025

The Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) Foundation will host the 24th annual A Salute to the Real American Heroes event honoring southeast Texas first responders, veterans and those in active duty at 6 p.m. September 11, 2025, at the Beaumont Civic Center, 701 Main St., Beaumont, TX.

This year’s event will include dinner, a presentation of colors and recognition of scholarship recipients. The program will honor the Hill Country first responders who provided search and rescue, and remediation efforts during the flooding in July 2025.

“The catastrophic flooding event this summer impacted so many here in Southeast Texas and many of our neighbors—we felt it was only right to highlight their courage in the time of crisis,” said Krista Hunter, Executive Director of Development and Foundation.

The keynote speaker will be Carman Apple with Texas Division at Emergency Management. Carman Apple serves as the Field Training Section Chief with the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Since 2012, she has overseen responses to major disasters across Texas, including hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and public health crises. Prior to joining TDEM, she served 25 years as a Beaumont police officer, where she helped establish local and regional incident management teams. She is a Certified Texas Emergency Manager, an International Certified Emergency Manager, and a graduate of Lamar University.

Uniformed or civilian-clothed first responders, uniformed military personnel and their guest, are invited to attend at no cost with a reservation.

“This annual event is our chance to come together as a community, honor our first responders, those in the armed forces and veterans, and raise scholarship funds for our future professionals who will serve in Public Service and Safety fields,” said Hunter.

All proceeds from the event benefit the LIT Foundation and provide scholarships for students pursuing degrees and certifications in Criminal Justice, Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Emergency Medical Technology, Regional Fire Academy and Regional Police Academy at LIT.

Donations and reservations can be made at www.lit.edu/foundation/salute or by mail to the Lamar Institute of Technology Foundation office at PO Box 10085, Beaumont, TX 77710. For more information, contact Krista Hunter at foundation@lit.edu or (409) 839-2956.