WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT

The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is to raise public awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, to help severely injured service members to aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.

"The Greatest Casualty Is Being Forgotten..."

To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project, please visit their website at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

ALASKA ELK LODGES & THE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT

Alaska State Elks Association President Jan Jonker has issued a challenge to the Elks Lodges in Alaska. This challenge is for all the Lodges to collectively contribute $20,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project. Both Kodiak and Palmer Lodges have risen to the challenge and have exceeded this goal.

Kodiak Lodge #1772 hosted and was instrumental in bringing a group of "Wounded Warriors" up to Alaska for some R&R. These are some of the Wounded Warriors and assistants who enjoyed fishing, sightseeing and the outdoor experience. These five young men had all suffered severe head trauma wounds causing various permanent loses including the loss of eyesight in one or both eyes, loss of mobility and damage to the cognitive thinking processes.

The Alaska State Elks Association President, Jan Jonker, can be seen in the back row, second from the right. Additionally, Kodiak Lodge has raised over $21,000 in support of the state program.

Palmer Lodge #1842 had a member donate a 2006 Harley Davidson Street Glide Motorcycle with only 20 original miles on it to help raise funds in support of this project. They sold all their tickets and raised over $10,000 in support of WWP.

They managed to get Governor Sarah Palin to sit on the bike and had the raffle winner announced on Q99.7 radio station.

(Pictured above is Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.)

Photo courtesy of Jay Pendergrass

The winning ticket was drawn on Labor Day, September 3, 2007 at the Alaska State Fair. The winner of the motorcycle was a Vietnam Veteran named Gene Delgado, Sr., who is a paraplegic and is in a wheelchair. His son is getting ready to deploy to Iraq to become a medic.

(Pictured above are Gene Delgado, Sr. and ER James Hastings (PER) Palmer Lodge.)

AS LONG AS THERE ARE VETERANS, ELKS WILL NEVER FORGET!