Wounded Warriors Take Over Family Feud: What it Felt Like to Compete on the Iconic Game Show
Watch the episode on Veterans Day, Nov. 11
Who doesn’t turn toward the screen or offer up an opinion when a question comes up on Family Feud? Survey says … Family Feud with Steve Harvey has been the top-rated game show and top-syndicated TV show for several seasons in a row.
When a group of veterans from Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) were invited to team up and compete on a special edition of this popular show, it wasn’t just about the fun – although they told us they did have fun. It was about the chance to share the spotlight with their fellow veterans.
Who Moved to the Fast Money Round?
The warriors can’t tell us who won – you have to watch the show – but they shared how they felt about the chance to be on Family Feud. They realized the opportunity to raise awareness of the ongoing needs of veterans and raise funds to continue helping veterans.
“From the moment I joined Wounded Warrior Project and was offered several opportunities to share my story, I felt I had a solid support system,” Army veteran Yomari Armstrong said. “But being on Family Feud with Steve Harvey was like no other experience. It’s one thing to share your story in a room full of people and another to be seen nationwide representing the organization that created such a deep impact in my life.”
Being there to represent other veterans made the experience of being on the show an unforgettable event for Yomari.
“Being on a platform such as Family Feud allows viewers to see firsthand veteran representation through Wounded Warrior Project,” Yomari said. “It’s one thing to read an article about veterans, but another to see the passion in the soldiers’ eyes.”
Yomari noticed how welcoming the show’s staff were toward the veterans and how they helped put them at ease.
“Even before we did the practice round, the producers walked us through the expectations and the steps, so nothing was really surprising,” Yomari said. “We were in a very comfortable environment – one that showed they were very grateful that Wounded Warrior Project was there. Even Steve Harvey, towards the end, said that he wished that we were there all day because he really enjoyed us being in the studio.”
Shining the Spotlight on Fellow Warriors
For Army veteran Bryan Wagner, going on the show meant representing the many men and women whose lives have been transformed through service and sacrifice – those who are here and those who are gone.
“Anything I can do to keep the memory of those who gave their lives to serve is important,” Bryan said. “And those who are still serving need to know we see them and appreciate their sacrifice.”
Army veteran Lisa Crutch has spent years transitioning from being Sgt. Lisa Crutch, which means recovering from both visible and invisible wounds of war. She knows too well that those wounds affect a soldier’s life forever and wants others to know that veterans’ needs are relevant in times of war and peace.
“It is important to keep our veterans in the spotlight because we can never repay the debt we owe them, yet warriors continue to enter service knowing this, and so often live the rest of their lives with the wounds,” Lisa said.
“My experience of being on Family Feud with other warriors was a proud moment, and I was glad to be able to live the WWP mission to honor and empower warriors. I hope that my presence did just that.”
Be present for warriors this Veterans Day. Tune in or set your DVR to watch WWP’s Veterans Day edition of Family Feud. Find out which team made it to the “Fast Money” round and whether they raised funds for Wounded Warrior Project. The episode airs on Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11. Find your station: https://www.familyfeud.com/
Contact: Raquel Rivas – Public Relations, rrivas@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.426.9783
About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more.
About Family Feud
Since its premiere in 1976, Family Feud has remained one of television’s most popular and enduring game shows. Featuring two families who compete for cash and cars, contestants try to guess the most popular answers to questions posed to 100 people surveyed. As host, Steve Harvey engages competing family members in hilarious repartee, and his honest reactions to their responses have brought a fresh sense of comedy to the show.
Fans are invited to follow Family Feud on social media @FamilyFeud and on the web at www.familyfeud.com, where they can answer survey questions, find out about upcoming auditions and more.
Taped in front of a live audience, Family Feud is produced by FremantleMedia North America, and is distributed by Debmar-Mercury. Gaby Johnston is Executive Producer and Jim Roush is Executive in Charge of Production.