'Dancing With the Stars' champ J.R. Martinez to be honored with parade

• In this image released by ABC-TV, war veteran and actor J.R. Martinez, right, and his partner Karina Smirnoff hold their award with host Tom Bergeron after they were crowned champions of the celebrity dance competition series, "Dancing with the Stars, " Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/ABC-TV, Adam Taylor)

IF YOU GO

What: Welcome-home parade and ceremony for J.R. Martinez.

When and where: Parade, 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday through downtown Dalton; ceremony, 3:30 p.m. at Northwest Georgia Trade & Convention Center, 2211 Dug Gap Battle Road, Dalton

Admission: Free.

Phone: 706-272-7676.

Website: www.nwgtcc.com.

Saturday, the city of Dalton will honor the accomplishments of celebrated hometown war hero, actor and reality TV star J.R. Martinez with an afternoon of activities in his honor.

Martinez will ride at the head of a parade through the Northwest Georgia city. Later in the afternoon, he will attend an awards ceremony at the Northwest Georgia Trade & Convention Center, where he will be recognized for his athletic contributions as a former strong safety for the Dalton High School Catamounts, his service in the Army's 101st Airborne Division and his recent winning turn on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."

The free event, which is being organized by the Dalton Chamber of Commerce, will offer residents a chance to praise one of their own during a particularly beleaguered time, said Rebecca Bolton, the Trade Center's director of sales and marketing.

"It's just a thank you to him for being an important person to the community," Bolton said. "Around here, he's known as a stand-up guy who has come through difficult times with light.

"Faced with the most challenging set of circumstances, he was able to come through and be a hero. That's something that, especially right now in this area, represents hope."

In 2003, Martinez, then 19, was severely injured shortly after he arrived in Iraq with the other members of the Army's 101st Airborne Division. The Humvee he was driving struck a mine, leaving Martinez with severe burns to 40 percent of his body. He has since had more than 30 corrective surgeries to address those injuries.

Although he received national attention for his talent as an amateur dancer on "Dancing With the Stars," Daltonians have long recognized Martinez for the wounds he received during his service and the positive attitude he demonstrated during his recovery.

In addition to his work as a motivational speaker, Martinez spent three years portraying injured war veteran Brot Monroe on the ABC soap opera "All My Children" until the show's cancellation in September.

County Commission Chairman Mike Babb and Dalton Mayor David Pennington officially will recognize Saturday as J.R. Martinez Day.

In an interview while Martinez was still in the midst of his run on the ABC reality show, Pennington said Martinez was continuing to shine a positive light on the city he calls home.

"He brings great glory to this community," Pennington said. "We're somewhat sort of used to this because this is the home of [Emmy Award-winning TV personality] Deborah Norville and [Major League Baseball pitcher] Mitchell Boggs.

"Dalton has produced a lot of special people over the years."

about Casey Phillips...

Casey Phillips has worked as a features reporter in the Life department for three years. He writes about entertainment, young adults, animals and people of interest. Casey hails from Knoxville and earned a bachelor of science degree in journalism and a bachelor of arts in German. He previously worked as the features editor for Sidelines at Middle Tennessee State University. Casey received the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists Award of Excellence for Reviewing/Criticism in ...

Source: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jan/06/dancing-with-the-stars-champ-jr-martinez/

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