A veteran in Cornelius is set to be paired with a newly certified service canine later this month, as Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation brings its annual A Hero’s Homecoming event back to the Cain Center for the Arts. The seventh edition of the gathering is scheduled for Thursday, November 19, and will also feature a comedy performance from Jamie Lissow.
According to the foundation, the event will showcase “the life-changing partnership between a deserving Veteran and their newly certified service canine,” a presentation that has become a signature moment of the annual gathering, per Checkered Flag Foundation. Jamie Lissow is also scheduled to perform. NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski spoke with WCCB’s Taylor and Adam about the foundation, according to WCCB Charlotte, which reported on the upcoming Cornelius event.
A Decade and a Half of Supporting Veterans
Keselowski founded the Checkered Flag Foundation in 2010 “as a means of honoring and providing assistance to veterans, active military, and first responders,” the foundation told thecomeback.com. The organization says attendance at A Hero’s Homecoming directly supports that mission of honoring and assisting military service members, veterans and their families.
The foundation’s work centers on its Service Dog Fund, which sponsors the certified training of service canines awarded to veterans free of cost, as noted by nascar.com in its coverage of a past Homecoming ceremony. That same report described how, on Veterans Day in 2022, the foundation awarded its fifth service canine — a dog named Kala, paired with U.S. Navy Corpsman Kelli Carter.
Previous Homecoming Events at the Cain Center
This isn’t the foundation’s first trip to the Cain Center for the Arts. In May 2025, the venue listed a Checkered Flag Foundation A Hero’s Homecoming event featuring comedians John Crist and Aaron Weber, along with music from singer-songwriter Tim Dugger, per the venue’s own event listing. That 2025 gathering also paired a veteran with a service-dog presentation, and individual VIP tickets were priced at $300, covering the reception, show and complimentary food, the listing noted.
What to Expect This Year
With the seventh annual A Hero’s Homecoming just over a week away, Cornelius will once again play host to a night built around service, comedy and recognition for military families. Beyond the date, venue and Lissow’s scheduled performance, the foundation has not released additional details about this year’s program, including who the featured veteran and service dog will be.
