Friday, November 11, 2005

Valour-IT

Voice Activated Laptops for OUR-Injured Troops!
If you don't already know about the Valour-IT program then shame on you! (I'm kidding!) Soldiers' Angels, a completely awesome group, has a program called Valour-IT, begun and dedicated to the first recipient, SFC William V. Ziegenfuss. They raise money to purchase laptops with voice activation software for our soldiers who are coming home with hand and arm injuries. This set-up gives our wounded warriors a sense of normality when their lives have been literally turned upside-down. With this system, they are able to send emails to keep in touch with family, friends, and their "brothers-in-arms," as well as allowing them to surf the net and be a part of at least the virtual world while they are stuck in a hospital bed.

These past nine days, there has been a competition going on between the different branches of the military. You can join a team and donate to help your team reach or surpass their goal! The competition ends today, but do NOT let that stop you from donating to this extremely worthwhile cause! If you want to join a team today and donate go here: Team Donations. If you miss the competition, that's okay, you can donate anytime here: Soldiers Angels-Valour-IT

To give you an idea how much this means to an injured soldier, let me share this email that FbL from Fuzzilicious Thinking received today from an angel whose soldier is a triple amputee:
...It will be anywhere from one year to 18 month before B will be able to come back home. He has a long road ahead of him. His mother said that they are doing everything for him and it is getting very frustrating for him. He wants to talk to his friends but he just is not ready to do it yet. With this laptop he will be able to communicate with family and friends and will be able to do it without the help of anyone. This is going to be the first step in showing him that he will be able to do things on his own.

When I told her about project Valour IT she almost cried.
She couldn't stop thanking us for this wonderful gift and opportunity that you are giving to B. She says that B is a fighter and that he will be getting prosthetic legs. She also said that he will be water skiing again in the future. She is so upbeat and positive over all of this.

Thank you so much for this project. This project Valour IT is an amazing project...

So go, now, read about it, donate, it's really, really important. Oh, and donate to the Air Force team...they need all the help they can get! (I love the underdogs!)

UPDATE: Fuzzy Lioness let me know that SFC William Ziegenfuss is the father of CPT Chuck Ziegenfuss, who was the first recipient of a laptop and voice activated software. Chuck dedicated the program in honor of his father.

UPDATE 2: Over $74,000.00 has been raised during this competition so far. There is still a little time to go so spread the word far and wide!

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