Posted on

Tee It Up for the Troops Donates 20th E-Z-GO Vehicle to Fisher House Foundation to Assist Disabled Veterans and Their Families

Tee It Up for the Troops - USA map

Working Together to Make Our Heroes’ Lives Better

A golf car is a nice amenity on the golf course, but for families of veterans and active duty service members who are being treated at Department of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers, golf cars are a valuable and needed mode of transportation. With limited parking and specialized transportation needs, many veterans and their elderly family members are unable to make the journey around a VA hospital campus.

That’s why Tee It Up for the Troops, with their national headquarters in Burnsville, Minn., has partnered with Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, manufacturer of E-Z-GO vehicles, to donate customized vehicles to Fisher House, a foundation that provides comfort homes where military and veteran families can stay free of charge. Tee It Up for the Troops has donated a “battalion” of E-Z-GO vehicles to Fisher House facilities nationwide, with the recent 20th new ride delivered to the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System in California.

For the last seven years, Tee It Up for the Troops and E-Z-GO, in partnership with E-Z-GO distributor Versatile Vehicles of Prior Lake, Minn., have delivered several vehicles a year to Fisher Houses across the nation. The first was delivered to the Augusta VA Medical Center in Georgia in 2012, with others reaching the East Coast’s Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland, the West Coast’s Camp Pendleton in California, and midwestern Fisher Houses in Milwaukee, Wisc. and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“Tee It Up for the Troops has been there for us and has provided a vehicle to every one of our houses on a VA property that has needed one,” said Brian Gawne, Vice President of Community Relations for Fisher House Foundation. “Parking and getting around on a VA campus is always a challenge, and some families are not mobile. Thanks to Tee It Up for the Troops and E-Z-GO, these cars are a godsend when families are facing a tough medical crisis.”

“Recently we had a veteran discharged from the hospital after kidney removal surgery and it would have been extremely painful for him to bend into a vehicle to get back to Fisher House,” said Jenny Hall, Manager of the Alaska Fisher House. “The golf car allowed him to easily slide in and out at a comfortable height with minimal pain.”

“It’s great teaming up with E-Z-GO and working together to make our heroes’ lives better,” said Tim Wegscheid, President & Executive Director for Tee It Up for the Troops. “I truly believe our veterans and their families are entitled to be taken care of, and donating these vehicles is just one way we do that.”

Tee It Up for the Troops has hosted 500 fundraising events in over 40 states over the last 15 years, allowing the non-profit organization to donate over $10 million to military service organizations that provide critically needed services to combat veterans and their families.

“Electric shuttles that are quiet and efficient can take a whole family or injured warfighter from a Fisher House around the campus to receive therapy or see a doctor,” said Brandon Haddock, Director, Communications at Textron Specialized Vehicles. “The vehicles can traverse facility paths, parking lots, and even into the entry of a VA hospital. It’s great to see how excited people are about the shuttles and to give the veterans something they really need.”

“These stretch electric shuttles, which can comfortably accommodate six passengers, are customized with many added features for the comfort and safety of veterans,” said Gaby Accad, owner of Versatile Vehicles, whose distributorship customizes many of the Fisher House vehicles. Additions include safety lights, turn signals, a rear seat that can convert to a flatbed to carry a wheelchair or other equipment, and a retractable windshield to block wind and rain.

Accad works with local companies to donate custom features, including red, white and blue premium seats embroidered with the Tee It Up for the Troops logo, decals that are applied to the custom-painted cars, and shipping of the cars at donated or reduced rates to their destination.

“What this country has provided to me, it’s the least I can do for our soldiers who put their lives on the line for us to enjoy our freedom and the things we cherish in this country,” Accad said.

Tee It Up for the Troops and E-Z-GO first learned of the need for a small, efficient vehicle to transport wounded warriors in 2011, when they shipped a vehicle to a military base in Afghanistan to help move soldiers to field hospitals and to get those recovering from injuries around the base. From there, the need to meet increased demands for transport of returning service members with disabilities and their families escalated stateside.

“This is just a continuation of our support for veterans who do incredible things for our country,” Wegscheid said of the vehicles.

 

 

Posted on

Event SPOTLIGHT: SeaCliff Tee It Up for the Troops and Serve It Up for the Troops Fundraising Events Break All Records!

The red carpet rolled out for all of the guests.

 

Located in Huntington Beach, California, the SeaCliff Tee It Up and Serve It Up for the Troops events are the most successful fundraising events held to date for Tee It Up for the Troops. Since 2011, SeaCliff Tee It Up for the Troops has raised more than $1.5 million in support of all those who serve(d) in the United States Armed Forces.

Why are the events held at SeaCliff Country Club so successful? Well, like all great events, the people involved make the difference…but SeaCliff has another secret to share.  In addition to hitting golf balls in support of military troops and their families, they hit and serve up tennis balls in gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices made by our bravest. SeaCliff’s Serve It Up for the Troops is the first and, so far, only tennis tournament raising funds for Tee It Up for the Troops nationally. The 2018 tennis tournament aced over $123,000!

Tennis Tournament

The first Serve It Up for the Troops tournament at SeaCliff was held in 2013 with about 25 players and $5,000 being raised. Last year, 138 players participated in the two-day mixed doubles tournament with a 20-fold increase in profit, making SeaCliff’s tennis tournament one of the top fundraising events overall for Tee It Up for the Troops. Kristi Serrano, Chairperson for SeaCliff Serve It Up for the Troops, says this is the biggest tennis tournament in Huntington Beach and draws players from all over Orange County. “There are lots of people who aren’t golfers that want to participate and support our military, and this gives them another option. We also have some community members that play in both the tennis and golf events.”

Attending “Heroes” at the Tennis event.

Serve It Up for the Troops festivities included an inspirational exhibition match featuring wheelchair-bound veterans playing against high level players, a Raise It Up for the Troops party and dinner held on the main court, silent and live auction, live band and dancing. Around 300 people attended the beautiful, sit down dinner event.

Kristi knows all too well the hard work that goes into an event this size…especially when you learn one week out that the program speaker you’ve

planned on can’t make the event. “So, I called in the Marines and like true Marines, they came through and pointed me towards Derek Herrera from the Marine Raider Foundation,” Kristi explained.  Captain Derek Herrera, a Marine paralyzed from the chest down by a sniper in Afghanistan and

Purple Heart and Bronze Star for bravery recipient, became the honored guest speaker.  Kristi says people were blown away with Derek’s moving talk, wiping tears away, and wanting to donate more money. “This is why we are all here. As a former military wife with a child, I know how hard it is for our soldiers and their families to be separated by time and countries, not to mention the injuries many sustain.  I urge everyone to get involved … we can never have enough volunteers. Start a Serve It Up event in your community. After Derek spoke, I said I am ALL IN for next year’s event.”  (Read more about Derek Herrera’s story here.)

Golf Tournament

The 7th annual Tee It Up for the Troops golf tournament at SeaCliff was held on August 20, 2018 and was wildly successful with net proceeds of $175,000 and 140 golfers. The SeaCliff event committee prides itself on being the number one fundraising event for Tee It Up for the Troops in terms of proceeds and size.

Leslie Mayes, Chairperson for SeaCliff’s Tee It Up for the Troops explained what makes their event unique, “Players enjoyed pre-tournament activities after checking in with their 1-1 personal concierge who walked them through the check-in process and schedule of events. An opening observance and tribute to our nation and military, complete with ceremonial bagpipes and a T-34 aircraft flyover, kicked off the golf tournament with ABC news anchor, Phillip Palmer, serving as master of ceremonies. During the tournament, the pin flags are manned by active duty military and  long drive Pro Kyle Warren, who’s Navy father recently passed away from exposure to Agent Orange, could be called upon to hit a big one down the middle.  A Meet

Attending “Heroes” at the Golf event.

the Heroes Reception featuring cocktails and a silent auction followed golf and the day ended with a dinner, speaker Sue Pollard, National President for Gold Star Moms, and live auction.”  When asked what inspires her to Chair this tournament, Leslie added, “When you see who you help…all the wounded veterans on property and military organizations that need our help… we do it for them because they are protecting our freedoms and we need to give back to them.”

SeaCliff’s first Tee It Up for the Troops event was started by Mark Mayes, Leslie’s husband, in 2011 with the help of Retired Air Force Lieutenant General George Muellner, both SeaCliff members. Mark, President of the California Chapter for Tee It Up for the Troops, had this advice when asked why the event is so successful. “We are super fiscal with our money and no one gets a free ride. Everyone pays to play…except for our military… each warrior is sponsored. We also get our volunteers very engaged and we make it fun for them…it’s their tournament.” What keeps Mark coming back each year to help with the event? “I have several faces in my mind right now… one wounded Marine looked at me and he thanks me with tears in his eyes for helping the warriors. I’m getting chocked up just thinking about it. We do it for the warriors and it’s just very rewarding,” Mark said.

Zach Martinez stands by the American flag he raised in Huntington Beach on Memorial Day 2010.

This year’s event honored Veteran Zach Martinez, who after rallying for a permanent memorial (Patriot Point) on the bluffs of Huntington Beach with the help of SeaCliff Tee It Up for the Troops, passed away from an illness. SeaCliff Tee It Up and Serve It Up for the Troops raised money for 10 non-profit organizations this past year including larger groups such as Warrior Foundation Freedom Station and Fisher House and local non-profits like Operation Surf, Patriot Point and Junior Amateur Golf Scholars (JAGS).

The Lemonade Stand that raised $200!

The SeaCliff Country Club and its community all join to support this weekend event…even the kids! Near hole #7, you could find a lemonade stand run by 11-year old Maddie Rhoads. This was Maddie’s second year selling lemonade to the golfers and she has donated over $200 to Tee It Up for the Troops from her lemonade stand. This year, Maddie was joined by Daphne Mayes, Mark and Leslie’s five-year-old granddaughter, to help continue the family’s commitment to Tee It Up.  Thanks to Maddie’s caring heart, and the passion and hearts of all the volunteers and supporters of this event, SeaCliff’s Tee It Up and Serve It Up for the Troops to help military troops and their families is just a bit sweeter.

We are also pleased to share that as a special tribute to all that Mark and Leslie Mayes have done for Tee It Up for the Troops, they were presented with a “Patriot Award” for their years of commitment, passion and patriotism displayed in the Seacliff Tee It Up & Serve It Up for the Troops events.  Mark and Leslie, thank you for leading the way to help support Veterans and their families!

Posted on

Purple heart recipient Michael Christensen finds healing through Spartan Races

Story written by LINDSAY ROSSMILLER 406mtsports.com

2-time Purple Heart recipient Michael Christensen is a friend of the Tee It Up for the Troops family, and multiple time attendee of our REUNION event. To see how far Michael has come since we first met him is truly AMAZING and we are so proud to share this story about all that he has overcome!

BIGFORK – When Michael Christensen reaches into his pocket, he feels cool metal and ribbon – a Purple Heart medal – that serves as a constant reminder that had things gone a little differently, he very well may not have reached this point.

Christensen was serving as a lead vehicle gunner in Iraq in 2007 when his vehicle was blown up twice in the span of 10 days, injuring him to the point of forcing him to medically retire from the Navy after 18 years and seven months of service that began when he graduated from high school.

He still has shrapnel injuries, limited mobility, aches in his ribs and suffers the effects of a traumatic brain injury. But as he completed the 2018 Spartan Race in Bigfork, his fifth and sixth races this year, the Everett, Washington resident was smiling.

“Spartan gave me a portion of my life back that I never thought I’d get back again,” a Christensen said.

“My motto that I live by in my head right now is ‘Always try to be better than yesterday.’ And these races definitely do that. They make you work and when you get out here and you cross the finish line I mean it’s just a huge sense of accomplishment. I am stoked to have finished this race.”

Of the over 200 Spartan races around the world, many are broken up into different series and three main types of events: Sprint (three miles consisting of 20-23 obstacles), Super (8-10 miles with 24-29 obstacles) and Beast (12-14 miles of 30-35 obstacles). This year, Bigfork hosted both Beast and Sprint events on back-to-back days and the inaugural stop of the newly established Mountain Series.

“You just keep moving and it’s the days you stop – the days you can’t get out of bed or the days you can’t function or the days you can’t remember stuff (because my memory is horrible) – it’s those days that weigh heavy and make you think,” Christensen said. “That’s why you take advantage of the days that aren’t like that and come out here and do what you do today to combat the days that are bad.”

LIFE OF SERVICE

When Christensen was in third grade, he visited a cousin who was serving as a Navy pilot. That trip and his family’s legacy of military service stuck with him and when he graduated from high school, he gave up a golf scholarship to Washington State to instead join the Navy.

He served in a combat detatchment of the Naval Construction Battalion, also known as the Seabees, where he eventually rose to the rank of petty officer first class. Christensen served deployments all over the world – including Guam, Japan, Spain, Germany and more – throughout his 18 ½ year career.

“In the military when you wear the green tuxedo, you dance where they tell you,” Christensen said.

And in 2006, he and his battalion were sent to Iraq. They landed in Baghdad on Sept. 11.

“It put it into perspective right then and there,” said Christensen. “That right there, set the tone for the entire deployment for me at least.”

Christensen’s job was to ride ahead of the convoy in the turret looking for bombs.

“Every night we went out into enemy territory and protected a convoy of life-saving supplies for somebody else on a different base,” Christensen said.

“Our truck got hit by five roadside bombs, two of them in ten days. That’s where I got my two purple hearts from.”

After the fourth explosion, Christensen was hospitalized for eight days with two broken ribs and shrapnel injuries to his hand and shoulder after being knocked unconscious. He returned to duty ten days later.

“I’d have felt really bad if somebody who has a wife and kid at home who really needed and depended on them, went out in my spot and if anything ever happened to them, I couldn’t live with that,” Christensen said. “So I got back out there and did my job the best that I could again and a million to one odds that I got hit again the first time back out.”

Read the rest of the story

 

Posted on

Donation to On Course Foundation Keeps on Giving

In January of 2017, on behalf of our generous sponsors and supporters, Tee It Up for the Troops donated $10,000 to the On Course Foundation. On Course Foundation is a veteran support organization that assists with the recovery of wounded, injured and ill Service personnel and veterans through golf. Their mission “….is to build confidence and self-belief in our Members [Service personnel and veterans] through golf skills and employment events, and set them on the path to meaningful employment opportunities in the golf industry.”

So why golf you might ask? The benefits of playing golf offers a key part in mental and physical recovery, improving both balance and limb coordination. Camaraderie, competitive spirit and concentration are important too, supporting the psychological recovery Service personnel and veterans, helping them find confidence within themselves.

Working together, we are using the game of golf as a vehicle for successful recovery, achieving a positive outcome not only on the golf course, but ultimately through work experience and eventually meaningful employment in the golf industry.

One of the beneficiaries of this donation was Ronnie Hurst, a medically discharged Army Veteran. He was having a hard time acclimating back into civilian life. Ronnie attended some of On Course Foundation’s events in Washington State and learned about various golf employment opportunities. On Course Foundation set him up with Chamber’s Bay golf course as a Player Assistant where Ronnie gained knowledge and experience in the golf industry and began his transition into civilian life.

Tee It Up for the Troops is happy to support Ronnie’s journey and we wish him all the best in his bright future! Thank you to the On Course Foundation for all you have done and continue to do for our military personnel!

Posted on

Thanks to support from Tee It Up for the Troops, Project Sanctuary is able to provide new growth that will impact military families both now and for generations to come.

The Road to Independence (submitted by Project Sanctuary).

Not an hour goes by for Jim* without reliving the horrors of that day. One moment he was on a fairly typical mission in Iraq. The next he lay trying to clear the dust from his eyes and inventory the full extent of his injuries.

The months that followed seemed like a series of snapshots —each one building upon the last to ensure Jim’s survival. Doctors had prepared him that his odds for walking again were slim to none. His wife, Shannon, and their three young children remained by his side through it all.

After three surgeries, recovery became Jim’s new mission and perhaps the most grueling of all, with hours upon hours of therapy, trying to make his body move as it had before. Post-traumatic stress and a traumatic brain injury induced nightmares, flashbacks and migraines.

Jim often found it ironic that the virtues of freedom and independence for which he had fought in Iraq became the same virtues he was now fighting for within himself.

The stress of recovery, on top of lives interrupted by combat deployments, began to take its toll on Jim, Shannon and their children. A friend of Shannon’s told her about Project Sanctuary and recommended that she submit a family application. Jim wasn’t so sure.

Like Jim, many service members are apprehensive about what to expect at Project Sanctuary. Trust doesn’t come easily with combat veterans. In the end, though, they all seek change, overcoming apprehensions with the hope of starting anew.

At Project Sanctuary, we alleviate those apprehensions, creating a place where every member of the family can truly thrive. In this environment, relationships are renewed, memories are made, and tools are provided for empowerment. And with at least two years of follow-up support post retreat, families have a partnership they can depend on, even when times get tough.

“We were on a hike, surrounded by warriors with a variety of injuries, even amputations. I think being with them gave Jim the confidence to put himself out there. You could just see from that moment on that he refused to let either his physical limitations or his PTSD define him.”From the moment Jim, Shannon and their three children arrived at their retreat, they felt welcomed, accommodated and safe. By day two, retreat administrator Neil recalls that Jim truly began to let his guard down.

Jim took part in zip lining and rock climbing, and even left his cane lying next to a log during one of the activities, walking on his own.

“There was a point about halfway through the week when Jim said he wasn’t ready for the retreat to end,” recalls Shannon. “He was looking forward to seeing and talking to people each day.”

At Project Sanctuary, Jim and his family gained the courage to try new things, make new connections and trust once again — changes that will allow them to reach new heights together. Thanks to support from Tee It Up for the Troops, Project Sanctuary is able to activate that change, providing new growth that will impact families both now and for generations to come.

Jim now knows that he’ll one day be able to walk his little girls down the aisle. 1,900 families just like Jim’s are currently on our wait list after taking the first step — reaching out for help. Through generous, ongoing support from Tee It Up for the Troops, you assure them they are heard and they are honored.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the family.

Posted on

“I believe my song gives them a better understanding of what I went through when I was deployed.”

On behalf of all of those who “stepped up to the tee” at our 2016 events, we were able to donate over $1,000,000 to veteran support organizations, including a $20,000 donation to CreatiVets! We are proud to support organizations like Creativets who are making a difference in the lives of our American heroes!

Jeremy Durbin, Executive Director of Creativets, said “Your donation has allowed us to provide songwriting sessions and art programming for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. Through these experiences, participants have learned the benefits of using art and music as a form of stress and anxiety relief. They have also created incredible songs and artwork that have enabled them to tell their stories in a way that creates something beautiful from something tragic.”

“Even though my friends and family do not understand what it was like in Iraq, I believe my song gives them a better understanding of what I went through while deployed.” – Veteran Participant, Songwriting Program 

CreatiVets’ mission is to provide disabled veterans with the opportunity to use art, music and creative writing to address the psychological and emotional needs that arise from service-related trauma.  Our goal is to empower veterans with tools they can use for the rest of their lives to combat stress, depression and other side effects of war.

“It’s hard to express in words how I felt after that experience, but I know I let go of something deep and feel that this experience is going to allow me to maintain that positive attitude while giving me the courage to live a meaningful life with my children. ” – Veteran Participant, Art Program

Posted on

K9s save veterans, making them functional citizens…

We love this letter we received from K9s For Warriors regarding the use of the grant awarded to them by Tee It Up for the Troops!

Dear Mr. Wegscheld & Tee It Up for the Troops,

Thank you so much for your recent grant award. Your grant will help with the continued equipment and building costs of the second kennel, which officially opened in September, 2016. Having this additional kennel vastly increases our service dog training capability, adding 31 new stalls to our campus. Once filled, we will be able to speed up the rate at which we pair warriors and canines, saving the lives of dogs and veterans faster.

Currently, we accommodate 6-8 warriors per class. Our goal for 2017 is to increase class sizes to 10 members, as we try our hardest to fight against the suicide epidemic of post-9/11 heroes. The additional kennel is key to meeting this goal. It allows us to have more dogs available and ready to pair with the warriors who need them most. In 2016, we graduated 72 warrior-canine teams! That indicates a total of 144 lives saved last year, counting just graduates. However, our statistics are even better than that, because we saved a total of 190 dogs! Those that weren’t evaluated as good fits for service work were adopted into homes of eager, dedicated dog lovers.

We are fortunate to hear many touching testimonies from the veterans who get “a new leash on life” from our program. Brad was a member of our November, 2016 class along with his service dog, Bear. We have included his photo as an attachment to this update. Here is his quote describing his newfound hope:

“I tried everything under the sun, from medications to neurological treatments. After going through K9s’ program, I now have peace of mind that my future will be better than my past. K9s saves veterans, making them functional citizens, with the help of an animal that would’ve most likely been euthanized. I now have hope for my life.” – Brad & Bear, November 2016 graduates.

Thank you again for your generosity. We look forward to continuing this partnership to help our military veterans reintegrate into society.
Sincerely,
Rory Diamond,
CEO, K9s For Warriors

Posted on

We love supporting veteran service organizations that provide service dogs for veterans!

Tee It Up for the Troops is proud to support many wonderful veteran service organizations throughout the United States including those that provide service dogs for veterans.

The influence service dogs have in the daily life of veterans cannot be overstated as was shared recently by one Trauma Assistance Dog recipient:

“Many combat veterans don’t come home the same person they were when they left here to fight for our country. We leave part of ourselves in the sands of Iraq and Afghanistan. My dog has given me a lot of my life back. We are always together and are best friends. I have been able to enjoy going out with my family and not have to worry about anything else around. [My dog] has given me hope that I thought was lost.”Jonathan-300x252

Drew and Bogey 2

Posted on

Tee It Up for the Troops – Alta Vista proudly supports Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station

The Tee It Up for the Troops events at SeaCliff Country Club (Huntington Beach, CA), Vista Valley Country Club (Vista, CA) and Alta Vista Country Club (Placentia, CA) have joined forces to support the Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station located in San Diego, CA. The Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station assists four main groups of warriors: the seriously injured just returning home from war; those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury; those undergoing physical or occupational therapy, and warriors who have been medically retired and remain in our community. To serve this last group in particular, they pioneered a new approach and opened Freedom Station – a unique recovery transition center and housing facility that provides injured warriors with the acclimation time, guidance and resources to successfully make the transition from military service to civilian life.

In particular, the donation of $29,150 from the Alta Valley Country Club event was used to support Freedom Station and the Stand Tall: Modified Combat Boots for Warriors program. As mentioned above, Freedom Station is a unique recovery transition center and housing facility that provides injured warriors with the acclimation time, guidance and resources to successfully make the transition from military service to civilian life.

Freedom Station Courtyard

One of Warrior Foundation’s main program areas is quality-of-life items. They provide supplies to injured warriors that improve quality of life and provide added comfort during recovery. One of the most in-demand items they provide are modified combat boots with special zippers that can accommodate either prosthetic limbs or Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis (IDEO™) braces. When warriors are recovering from battle injuries, nothing boosts morale like being able to stay in uniform. The uniform is deeply intertwined with the pride, privilege and soul of a warrior. It allows them to keep their military bearing.  For amputees, new prosthetic legs and feet do not fit properly into combat boots, forcing them to wear other shoes that do not conform.

In what has become one of their most successful programs to date, Warrior Foundation-Freedom Station devised a way to modify combat boots to accommodate prosthetic limbs and IDEO braces. They custom-measure warriors, purchase boots, and then install zippers down the back of the boots so they can easily accommodate prostheses.  This allows warriors to maintain an integral part of their identities by staying in uniform.

Posted on

Tee It Up for the Troops – Vista Valley proudly supports Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station

The Tee It Up for the Troops events at SeaCliff Country Club (Huntington Beach, CA), Vista Valley Country Club (Vista, CA) and Alta Vista Country Club (Placentia, CA) have joined forces to support the Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station located in San Diego, CA. The Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station assists four main groups of warriors: the seriously injured just returning home from war; those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury; those undergoing physical or occupational therapy, and warriors who have been medically retired and remain in our community. To serve this last group in particular, they pioneered a new approach and opened Freedom Station – a unique recovery transition center and housing facility that provides injured warriors with the acclimation time, guidance and resources to successfully make the transition from military service to civilian life.

In particular, the donation of $30,000 from the Vista Valley Country Club event was used to support Freedom Station and the Wheelchairs for Warriors program. As mentioned above, Freedom Station is a unique recovery transition center and housing facility that provides injured warriors with the acclimation time, guidance and resources to successfully make the transition from military service to civilian life.

Freedom Station Courtyard

The Wheelchairs for Warriors program is specifically designed to provide amputees with very lightweight, high quality wheelchairs that are custom-tailored for their specific body measurements. Amputees encounter significant challenges in daily living that most people cannot comprehend. Wheelchairs are the greatest mobility tool that amputees have, whether they are used at home, at work or for therapeutic or recreational activities. The standard-issue wheelchairs provided by the government are bulky, heavy and not easy to maneuver. The ultra light wheelchairs we purchase are custom-made specifically to provide the best fit, form and functionality for each individual warrior. Once a warrior is measured, the wheelchair is built to custom specifications. The “one size fits all” approach does not work for wheelchairs, and that’s why the ultra light wheelchairs are made to measure.

There is also the matter of transporting the wheelchair from place to place, in and out of vehicles. It is not an ideal or particularly safe situation to have amputees struggling to load and unload heavy wheelchairs. These ultra light wheelchairs are exponentially more lightweight, compact, easy to transport when compared to the government-issued wheelchairs. Combined with better handling and significantly more maneuverability, it is easy to see why ultra light wheelchairs significantly improve quality of life for our warriors.