HOPE Week Honoree

HOPE is a word we use often within Hope For The Warriors®.  It is a part of our name and is included in our mission statement.  Hope drives our work and our goals.

Last week, the Morehead City Marlins Baseball Team hosted HOPE week.  For the team, HOPE stood for Helping Others Persevere and Excel and the team asked for nominees who would best represent HOPE in the community.

Paul Kelly was proud to nominate his wfie Sally for this honor.  Sally and Paul are long-time volunteers of our organization. Their support began in 2006 and together, they have done so much to help us grow.  They have been a great asset and great friends.

Sally's work with Hope For The Warriors® is not the only reason that she was honored on Saturday night at the Marlin's baseball field. However, we are very thankful that her good work was recognized.  Below is part of the application that was submitted. (Edited)

A Beacon of Hope

"A mother, wife, friend, volunteer, teacher, leader and more.  Sally is a true 'Beacon of Hope' to all who surround her.  Her hard work helped her to raise two successful and moral sons while still volunteering within her community.  Her greatest work now benefits our military communities—specifically wounded, their families, and families of the fallen.  Sally has given hope and helps to thousands and inspires others to join in this mission."

"The daughter of a WWII-Bronze Star-decorated soldier, she understands the sacrifices of the military and their families.  Since 2008, she has volunteered countless hours with Hope For the Warriors®, a national nonprofit organization that assists combat wounded service members and their families.  She has been recognized as one of the organization’s top volunteers."

"Sally and her husband Paul have raised more than $48,000 in donations in their fundraising campaign they call '2008 Miles of Hope.'  She has also been recognized by the organization for her leadership within her women’s group, Beta Sigma Phi International.  Within her chapter, she has been the kindling spark beneath the group’s service project, 'Carolinas’ Torch of Hope,' which has so far brought in over $25,000 in donations from chapters around the world to Hope For The Warriors®."

 

"Sometimes Sally is a Beacon of Hope, by simply supporting others.  She is often at Hope For The Warriors® events and races, cheering on the runners and volunteering to make the event a success.  She has cheered for her own husband through countless marathons and half marathons as he pushes through on his handcycle."

"In 2011, she was not content to be on the sidelines. Sally decided to 'go the extra mile' for our Nation’s wounded by running the Marine Corps Marathon with Team Hope For The Warriors®.  Sally finished a HIGHLY respectable 30^th in her age bracket in the largest amateur marathon in the world."

"Sally is truly a beacon of hope within our community.  Her tireless dedication to her community, her family, and above all, to the Nation’s wound heroes are an inspiration and example to all she meets."

Thank you to Sally for bringin HOPE to our nation's heroes and to Hope For The Warriors®.

5th Annual Winchester Memorial Poker Run

More than 20 years ago, a New York City Firefighter was sent to various fire departments out of the state to help train.  The man was Captain John Vigiano, Sr. and one of the men he trained was Dave Smith, a firefighter in Michigan.  The two became close friends and Dave eventually became friends with his sons, John Jr. and Joe, a firefighter with FDNY and a highly decorated member of the NYPD respectively.

John Vigiano enjoys his time with the Warthogs

On 9/11, John Jr. and Joe died when the towers collapsed.  Dave and other firefighters from Michigan made multiple trips to New York City to help with the search efforts.  It is a loss that still impacts him today.

Dave is the president of the Grand Rapids Warthogs Motorcycle Club.  The group created the Winchester Memorial Poker Run to remember and honor Mike "Chet" Winchester, a prospective chapter member who was killed in a motorcycle accident.  Dave turned to his close friends, John and Jan Vigiano for help in identifying a nonprofit that assisted combat wounded service members and their families.

The Vigianos are long time supporters of Hope For The Warriors®.  We thank them, Dave Smith, and all of the members of the Grand Rapids Warthogs M/C for their dedication to the men and women in our military and to their families.  More than $8,000 was raised leading up to and during this year's Poker Run.

Some of that money was raised through helmets that Dave designed and donated for the auction at this year's Got Heart, Give Hope® Gala and at the Poker Run.  The helmets are often signed by NASCAR drivers and are one-of-a-kind.

This past weekend, Hope For The Warriors® staff and the Vigianos themselves attended this 5th Annual Winchester Memorial Poker Run.  This year, Dave is retiring from the public service department of Grand Rapids and Hope For The Warriors® staff honored Dave for his years of service as well as his committment to wounded service members. The Vigianos also attended and clearly had a great time with this fun, patriotic group.

Hope For The Warriors® staff and supporters enjoy the morning

Along with the Warthogs, we thank everyone that attended, donated or supported this fundraising event.  This is the fourth year that Hope For The Warriors® has been the beneficiary and we are as thankful today as we were the first year.

Favorite Memory-A Return to the Race

"A single leg amputee joined us for last year's ASA Run For The Warriors® in October. He had been an unltramarathoner prior to his injury, and was known for his competitive drive and immense athletic ability. It didn't matter that it was raining and he was running on a new prosthetic. This veteran clearly loved the energy and excitement of a race and of competing again. He had to take it slow--the pavement was slippery--but he had a smile on his face for the entire distance and finished strong with the help of his best friend. That morning, I completely understood the positive impact of our races and Team Hope For The Warriors®."

Favorite Memory-A Walk to Remember

I was recently asked to fill out information about Hope For The Warriors® for a website that will highlight our organization. Among the usual questions I was asked "What is your favorite memory?" 

What a great question!

I have worked with the organization for more than two years and I have many great memories.  However, I am only one person and this organization is now six years old.  So I turned to the Hope For The Warriors® staff to get their feedback.  For the next several Fridays, instead of my usual "Friday's Photo" posting, I will share a favorite memory from various staff members.  I hope that these stories inspire you as much as these men and women have inspired each of us.

"One of my favorite memories was watching a service member complete his first 5K, post injury.  The family had been told that he would never walk or talk again.  But this Marine proved them all wrong."

We wrote about this young Marine and his father for this year's Father's Day post.

Rumble to the Rockies

$15,000, 5,000+ miles, 14 cities, 2 weeks, 5 motorcycles.  All for one cause.

Rumble to the Rockies Fundraising Page

View photos from the road!

At the end of July, five members of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) will take off on a 2-week, 14-city, motorcycle ride in their effort to raise funds and awareness for Hope For The Warriors®.  Due to their hard work and the support of many, they expect to raise close to $15,000.

One of the men organizing the ride is Chris Walsh.  He is a member of the FDNY, a registered nurse in an emergency room, an Iraq veteran, husband, and father of four children.  Clearly this is a man with a great deal on his plate and yet, focusing on our nation’s veterans and military families is very important to him.

Chris was an officer in the Marine Corps from 1991 – 1995.  On 9/11, he had been working as a fire fighter for nine months.  In 2002, he received an offer to reactivate as a Marine.  With the memory of 9/11 forever fresh in his mind, he returned to the Marine Corps and soon after deployed to Iraq.

After he returned and was discharged, he and fellow fire fighters traveled to Washington, D.C. to visit wounded service members in the medical centers.  As he spoke with them, he listened to their stories, and learned what had happened to each of them.

He was speaking with a young Marine who had lost one of his legs in Iraq.  As this man shared the story of how he was injured, Chris realized that he knew exactly where this man had been hurt.

“The streets that I had been driving down (while in Iraq) were the same streets these guys were driving on when they were hit by an IED.  I was just lucky.”

That discovery gave Chris another reason to focus on helping these wounded service members.  In spite of his busy schedule, he knows that it could have been him wounded and in rehabilitation at the hospital.

The Crew

This crew of five have many years of service behind them.  Chris, along with Jay, Matt, John and Kevin have all worked as fire fighters.  Out of the five, four are still active in the FDNY.  The fifth has retired due to injuries incurred on 9/11.  All are dedicated to supporting wounded service members and military families.  They have worked hard to generate donations for Hope For The Warriors® as well as donations to cover their expenses. 

Travel Support

The group continues to receive donations for this trip.  They have free lodging for each stop along the way.  Donations for food and gas have also started to trickle in.  Their goal is for all of the funds to be donated directly to Hope For The Warriors®.

Walter Reed Family BBQ

The last stop before they return to New York City will be in Washington, D.C.  The group is joining Hope For The Warriors® for a BBQ at Walter Reed Military Medical Center.  Food and T-shirts will be provided by Café Rio.   T-shirts will also be provide by the Rumble to the Rockies group and Hope For The Warriors®.  The event will be a great way for wounded and their families to take a break from the rigors of rehabilitation. 

There is no doubt that this night will be important to Chris too.  He will once again talk to young wounded service members and understand from personal experience the challenges they faced during their deployments. 

Raising Funds

To raise funds for Hope For The Warriors®, the guys have sold more than 675 T-shirts.  They are also gearing up for one final huge fundraising party.  This Sunday, July 22, the group will hold a Fundraising Party at Bourbon Street of Monroe in Monroe, NY.  There will be live music, food specials, raffle prizes and more.  All of the proceeds will benefit Hope For The Warriors®.

If you are interested in supporting this group or would like to learn more, visit their fundraising page.  To contact Chris directly, email rumble2rockies@gmail.com.

Special Delivery

Many order pizza over the phone. Few call a company 1,000 miles away.

But Hope For The Warriors® rarely follows the norm and few companies are as dedicated to our military as Casey's General Store.

It started with a simple conversation.  Staff members were visiting patients in Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C.  Each week, our coordinators meet with wounded service members and family members, talking about their challenges, and searching for solutions through our programs. 

This particular visit was with Petty Officer 3rd Class Taylor Morris, USN, from Cedar Falls, Iowa.  Wounded May 3, Taylor is a quadruple amputee.  Our staff member talked to him and his girlfriend, Danielle, about the support that we received from Casey's General Store.

If you are from the Midwest and have been to a Casey's store, it will not surprise you that Taylor and Danielle immediately talked about Casey's pizza.  Apparently everyone loves Casey's pizza.

Back at the office, the staff learned of Taylor's love for Casey's pizza.  Naturally, Bob Myers, Casey's President and CEO was called.

Through a series of phone calls, it was decided that somehow, pizzas would be sent to Washington, D.C.  As luck would have it, a staff member's neighbor was flying to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.  She agreed to carry the pizzas on the airplane with her. 

The pizzas were freshly made, packed in ice, and boxed up with instructions on how to bake them in a regular oven.  Our staff greeted this volunteer at the airport.

The next day, each pizza was baked.  At 12:15 pm, three pizzas, baked to perfection, were presented to a very surprised Taylor.  He was joined by his girlfriend Danielle and several friends, some who were also from the Midwest and just as excited to see a slice of home.

It did not take long for all of the pizza to be eaten.

Thank you to Casey's General Store and to Bob Myers, President.  Many would have received that phone call and not completely understood how wonderful a piece of home can be in a service member's recovery.

Thank you to Beth, the woman who volunteered to carry the box on the airplane. 

And of course, thank you to Taylor and Danielle for your service and your strength.

Friday's Photo

A picture is worth a thousand words.

A look inside the cockpit as the pilot completes a loop.
Thunder Over Cedar Creek Airshow