Wounded Veterans Enjoy Skiing with Their Special Guests
BLOWING ROCK, N.C., March 1, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A weekend adventure brought injured service members together on the slopes at Appalachian Ski Mountain. The event, planned by Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), included a companion invited by each WWP Alumnus for the weekend's couples' ski activities.
The group had time to settle in and visit with other WWP Alumni before starting the full day of activities on Saturday. After breakfast, equipment fittings, and skiing or snowboarding lessons, the group spent the rest of the morning practicing on the slopes.
WWP Alumnus Eric Wolf invited his daughter to be his guest for the weekend. "I got to spend a lot of quality time with my daughter and focus on her, which is much needed since I am still on active duty," he said.
The WWP Alumni program is one of 20 life-saving programs and services offered free of charge to wounded service members, their caregivers, and families. Many wounded veterans face similar challenges adjusting to their injuries and civilian life. The Alumni program brings injured veterans together to build camaraderie. By bonding through events like this, wounded veterans learn they are not alone.
"This was an excellent opportunity to spend time with my daughter with no distractions," Eric said. "I was very interested in this event because I knew my daughter would like skiing, and it turns out she loves it."
During a private lunch hosted at the ski resort, Alumni and guests heard about various WWP programs and services. WWP not only engages Alumni but promotes recovery by including their caregivers and family support members. The unique setting allowed one on one time for couples to discuss their needs with WWP staff.
"This is my first activity with WWP. It's difficult to find time for events, but when I'm able, it's all worth it," Eric said.
The group exhausted the slopes before calling it a day, and headed over to Cracker Barrel for dinner and camaraderie with other wounded veterans and their families.
"We truly had a great experience and the staff was extremely accommodating in every aspect," Eric said. "I could not have asked for a warmer, more professional staff. WWP was readily available for questions and planned a great agenda for us."
Currently, more than 100,000 wounded service members, their family members, and caregivers receive support each year through free WWP programs and services. Through a high-touch and interactive approach, the WWP vision is to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation's history. Most recently, WWP launched Warrior Care Network™, a $100 million investment to battle the invisible wounds of war and reach those who might otherwise go untreated. This is a first-of-its-kind partnership between WWP and four national academic medical centers of excellence including Emory Healthcare, Massachusetts General Hospital, Rush University Medical Center, and UCLA Health to connect thousands of injured warriors with world-class care. Learn more about Warrior Care Network at warriorcarenetwork.org.
In January 2016 alone, Wounded Warrior Project served 24,488 warriors through one or more of the WWP program pillars of Body, Mind, Economic Empowerment, and Engagement.
About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP's purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.
SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project