CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Saluting the the men and women of our armed forces, Carolina Panther star Luke Kuechly came to the USO North Carolina located inside Charlotte Douglas International Airport Wednesday to celebrate a $25,000 gift made by Lenovo Computers.
Lenovo Computers held a nationwide social media campaign encouraging fans to share kind thoughts about their loved ones using the#LenovoSalutes. It turns out Panther fans are number one.
"It's cool because we play a game and they are the reason we are able to play it, so it's a good deal for us, it's easy and I'm very happy to be here." said Kuechly. "For me, it's a family connection, it's something that you can feel and when you see guys come to practice and you go to bases, you see what those guys go through and stories from Coach Rivera and Charles Tillman is a big advocate...the stories are neat."
Having a way to communicate with friends and family means everything to the troops, says Navy Commander Jared Jacobs, on hand to enjoy the fun.
"It's great to be interactive with families back home no matter where you are in the world," said Jacobs.
Sgt. Lacy Lopez has family in the Caribbean and using a computer for email while traveling makes life on-the-go easier.
"For me, having the opportunity to just communicate with my family even in my case I'm from a small island, so I'm trying to stay in touch as much as I can," Lopez explained.
Lenovo will deliver computers across 8 USOs around North Carolina. 2016 Miss North Carolina Allie Dunn accepted the donation on behalf of the centers located in the Raleigh area and down east.