Alan Alda, Joe Mantegna to host telethon for veterans

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Actors Alan Alda and Joe Mantegna are to serve as co-hosts of "Homeward Bound," a 4-hour telethon supporting U.S. veterans, organizers announced.

Presented by Haven from the Storm and broadcast by the Military Channel, the Nov. 10 show is intended to raise money for service members with post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain Injury.

The telethon will feature celebrities, music and comedy, profiles of various charities and veterans telling personal stories about their experiences abroad that led them to come home with PTSD and TBI.

"It's important to recognize the valiant contributions made by brave American soldiers, veterans who protect our country, and return home with PTSD and TBI," Haven from the Storm founder Leonard Wilf said in a statement Monday. "This cause is in my heart and I suspect that's true for many Americans who care."

Wilf -- a co-owner of the NFL Minnesota Vikings -- founded Haven From the Storm in 2012 with singer Connie Francis and producer Bruce Charet. The organization said in a news release it was established to help injured military service members recover and re-enter society.