Valour-IT 2007

I have been VERY remiss in not posting this sooner. I've been a (ARMY) strong supporter of Project Valour-IT since, well, since before it was officially started. My blog-sister FbL directed me to Chuck Z's blog just weeks before his life was changed. He was seriously injured in an explosion in Iraq and was flown back to Walter Reed for care. During this time, he was unable to stay in contact with his friends,family, his guys in Iraq, or blog- his hands weren't very useful at the time. It took him hours to write a small post due to pain and a lack of useful fingers. He made a comment about how he sure could use one of those voice-activated software packages.... and that one little comment was quickly turned into Project Valour-IT.


FbL took it upon herself to start a fundraising campaign to get voice-activated laptops to other injured warriors. That effort blossomed into a Soldier's Angels sponsored project, called Project Valour-IT. FbL will tell you "it's nothing- and other people do the work now"... but those of us who know, know that this is HER baby. Recipients of the kits know this too, including Chuck. They'll tell you the project was named in honor of their fathers, but again, those of us who know, know that Chuck was the inspiration. If you could hear the emotion in Chuck's voice when he talks about receiving his software and how it changed his entire outlook on his recovery, you would cry like I did. If you could read all of the letters of thanks FbL has received since starting Valour-IT, you would give, and give, and give, just like the rest of us have.

Valour-IT provides not only the voice-activated software that Chuck originally received, but also an entire laptop computer, with case. Each set is valued at approximately $700. Valour-IT is a Soldier's Angels supported project, making your donations 100% tax deductible. Patients at Walter Reed, Brooke, Balboa, Madigan, Bethesda, Camp Pendleton's Naval Hospital and the Naval Hospital at 29 Palms have received well over a thousand kits since the fall of 2005.

Throughout this post, you have seen 4 donation tally buttons- each one dedicated to a different service. We have a little inter-service competition every year to see who can raise the most money for Valour-IT. I'm officially on the Army team this year, but as you can see, I really don't care which team you chose to donate through, just click on a team and make a donation. The recipients are all the same- US Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coasties, and Airmen who have either temporarily or permanently lost the use of their fingers, arms, or eyes due to the GWOT.
Please help, not just now, but throughout the year if now isn't a good time for you.