OCALA, FL (32today.com) – On October 23, the lights will come up, the music will start and the stars will have a little extra company over Ocala.

The Stars, Strings and Swings Veteran Music Festival is bringing an evening of live country music to the area, featuring country artist Craig Morgan, Love & Theft and more. But while the music is reason enough to mark the calendar, the event carries a bigger purpose: supporting Combat Veterans to Careers, the Wildwood-based nonprofit working to help combat veterans and their families successfully transition from military life to civilian life.

The Veteran Music Festival begins at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at The Club at Iron Lake (950 NW 75th St.) in Ocala.

For attendees, it promises an opportunity to enjoy a night of country music under the stars while knowing that their participation helps support an organization focused on giving veterans practical tools, resources and opportunities for the next chapter of their lives.

A night of music with a lifesaving mission

Stars, Strings and Swings is part of a larger two-day event benefiting Combat Veterans to Careers, with the festival taking center stage Friday night. The weekend also includes a golf tournament on Saturday, pairing golfers with honorary veterans for a day of competition, food and camaraderie.

But no golf clubs are required to be part of Friday’s festivities.

Concertgoers can simply come out, settle in and enjoy performances from Craig Morgan and Love & Theft while supporting a local organization whose work reaches well beyond a single event.

Proceeds from this once-in-a-lifetime experience will help Combat Veterans to Careers in its ongoing mission, including PTSD and suicide prevention programs that are saving our veterans’ lives.

Since its founding in 2012, Combat Veterans to Careers says it has assisted more than 955 veteran families in areas including education, employment, housing and wellness. The organization describes its approach as providing “360 degrees” of support — recognizing that successfully transitioning to civilian life can involve far more than finding a job.

That can mean helping a veteran access VA benefits, continue an education, obtain professional training, find meaningful employment or secure affordable housing. It can also mean helping veterans and their families reconnect with their communities.

The veteran behind the mission

The story of Combat Veterans to Careers begins with its founder, David Booth, and his own difficult transition out of the military.

Booth served 20 years in the U.S. Army as a combat medic, including a 2006 deployment to Iraq. During that deployment, the vehicle he was riding in struck an improvised explosive device, leaving him seriously injured. After a lengthy recovery, Booth medically retired from the Army — and discovered that leaving military service could present challenges he had not anticipated.

Rather than allowing that experience to define what came next, Booth recognized that other service members could face many of the same uncertainties.

His response was to create an organization that could help.

In 2012, Booth founded Combat Veterans to Careers, drawing on the same spirit of service that had guided his military career. The organization now works with veterans and their families to help them build productive, sustainable lives after service.

Come for the music, support the mission

That’s what gives Stars, Strings and Swings its significance.

A concert can be a great way to spend a Friday night. Add a cause that is focused on helping veterans find opportunity, stability and a sense of belonging, and the evening takes on another dimension.

On Oct. 23, local residents and visitors will have a chance to gather with friends, listen to some country music and celebrate the men and women who have served — while helping an organization continue its work in the community.

Stars, Strings and Swings Veteran Music Festival takes place Friday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. in Ocala. With Craig Morgan, Love & Theft and more on the bill, it should be a memorable night of music—and, perhaps more importantly, a chance to turn a night out into something that gives back.

Tickets and additional event information are available through Combat Veterans to Careers.