We were recently awarded the coveted Best in America seal. This seal of excellence is awarded to members of
Independent Charities of America and Local Independent Charities of America that have, upon rigorous
independent review, been able to certify, document, and demonstrate on an annual basis that they meet the
highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness.
HELPING WOUNDED TROOPS & THEIR FAMILIES REBUILD THEIR LIVES
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Thursday, January 24, 2008
LeAnn Rimes Donates 10 Tickets and VIP Passes for Iowa Concert
Hello all,
I just wanted to let you all know how incredible LeAnn Rimes is! She gave CSAH 10 tickets and 10 VIP passes to meet with her before and after her show this Friday, January 25 in Tama, Iowa. She even invited us to listen to her sound check as she gets ready for the show! Fellow wounded veteran B.J. Jackson and his wife Abby are going to go with me and my wife Sarah.
We're also bringing with us a recently wounded soldier's wife as well as a Marine that lost his foot in Iraq, and some other local troops.
LeAnn is such a special woman, she has dedicated so much of her time to helping out CSAH and supporting the troops. Last October, B.J. Jackson and I got to fly to New York City to present her with REDBOOK Magazines Strength and Spirit Award at the Hearst Tower for her dedication to our wounded troops. We were very honored, and I am very honored to be able to attend her show this Friday, and even more excited to take some of my fellow brothers and sisters in arms to meet LeAnn!
So at 8:00 pm this Friday, I hope you all will be thinking of us and how lucky we are to have the support of amazing people like LeAnn - the songstress of the troops.
I wanted to share some heartwarming news with you all. Below is the story of how CSAH help give the Ewell family a very merry Christmas...
CSAH first met the Gordy and Terra Ewell at the 2007 Road to Recovery Conference and Tribute in Orlando, Florida at the beginning of December. Gordy's Operation Iraqi Freedom tour extended beyond 1 year; he survived several multiple blast exposures from March of 2006 to October of 2006 which resulted in vision loss, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and hearing loss. An initial blast blew out an impacted wisdom tooth from vocal plate, fractured all the teeth in front, and his left mandible was shattered. He also suffered a broken neck and currently suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
When we first met Gordy at the Conference, we also met his wife Terra and their six children, ranging from toddlers to teens. Since returning home from Iraq with new disabilities, Gordy and Terra have been struggling to maintain their home and family life. It is hard for Gordy to be the same dad that he was when he left. By sharing their inspiring story at the conference, they touched and moved us all.
When an opportunity came up to nominate a veteran and their family for the Montel Williams Christmas Special we were sure to recommend Gordy and Terra because we knew that they would be the perfect fit for a Christmas show dedicated to our troops. When Terra heard the news she said with a selfless courage, "But isn't there anyone who needs this more than we do?"
On the show, Gordy, Terra, and their six children received over $40,000 worth of gifts and cash including a new Hynudai Santa Fe SUV (complete with big red bow and the taxes paid), grocery gift card, and electronics. Their two oldest daughters, Shelby (17) and Jaime (15) are remarkable young women who, in light of their father's injuries, have taken on more responsibility than most teenagers could imagine. Because of their hard work, Montel rewarded them specifically with spa packages, affording them a break from their everyday responsibilities.
Gordy, like many others who serve our country, has made an insurmountable sacrifice to serve our nation. Montel said it best - "the greatest gift that anyone of us have in this country is our freedom." We are proud to give back to Gordy and his supportive family for all that they have given to us.
It has been a while since our last post, and we wanted to log in to tell everyone to have a Happy New Year!
2007 was amazing for us, as an organization we have grown and passed many milestones. We have now helped over 5,000 severely wounded troops from the War on Terror!
Our Road to Recovery was a huge success last year, and we look forward to begin planning on the 2008 Conference and Tribute.
