Valour-IT: Technology for the Wounded

Project Valour-IT Auction LIVE!

2011-11-10T20:38:00.001-08:00

The eBay auction with items donated to Soldiers' Angels in support of Project Valour-IT is now LIVE! There are 23 items up for bid, with auctions ending anywhere between early Sunday morning and mid-day Monday. Auction items handcrafted jewelry, a handmade camo-print purse and consumer electronics. Go check it out!

How to Turn Your Gift into a Laptop

2011-11-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

11/01/11

To honor America’s veterans and support Project Valour-IT, Soldiers’ Angels is holding an eBay auction on Veterans Day Weekend and your donations are needed to make it happen!

From patriotic to practical and beyond, your gift will help a severely-wounded hero receive an adaptive laptop from Soldiers' Angels. We need to move quickly, but Angels have an amazing way of coming through under pressure!

To submit your item for auction or ask any questions, emailbeths@soldiersangels.org with subject line “Auction.” Be sure to include ALL of the following in your email:

Quality photos of the item you are donating for auction
Full description of the item, appropriate for posting on eBay
The minimum amount for which you want your item to sell

Items must be mailed to Soldiers’ Angels as soon as possible (in most cases, before the auction is complete—shipping details will be provided when you email).

He Helps Injured Soldiers Write On

2011-10-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

I picked up a copy of the September 13, 2010 issue of People Magazine - the one with Michael Douglas on the cover - when I heard the inspiration for Project Valour-IT, Chuck Ziegenfuss, was profiled in their "Heroes Among Us" feature. I only just learned that piece was available online. You can see it here.

Taking Aim at Project Valour-IT

2011-09-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

A strong supporter of Soldiers' Angels Project Valour-IT , the annual Gun Blogger Rendezvous continues to grow. One of this year’s sponsors, Sig Sauer, has stepped up in a big way by donating a brand new pistol to be auctioned for Valour-IT.

This is no “ordinary” Sig Sauer 1911, though. A reverse, two-tone version of the pistol, it has been engraved with the Soldiers’ Angels logo on the slide and the words “Soldiers’ Angels” on the barrel, making it a unique piece for 1911 fans and supporters of Soldiers' Angels / Project Valour-IT. A non-engraved version of this pistol could be expected to retail for up to about $1,000.

The Soldiers' Angels 1911 will be sold to the highest bidder at on online auction held by GunBroker.com* and 100% of the sale will be donated to support Valour-IT. The auction closes at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, October 23, 2011.

Thank you to gun blogger Allen, The Gun Blogger Rendezvous, Sig Sauer and GunBroker.com for this tremendous fundraising opportunity!

*Be sure to read all the information on the acution page and ensure that laws in your state would allow you to take possession of the pistol if you are the auction winner.

Originally posted here.

How do you eat an elephant?

2011-07-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

From Major Chuck Ziegenfuss:

It's been a long six years, looking back on things. 40 surgeries. Learning to walk. Learning to open and close my hands. Learning to write. Learning to check, and recheck, the temperature of everything before I grab it. Learning how to work a door knob. Learning my physical limitations, and learning the penalties for ignoring them. Many, many painful months of rehab. Narcotics addiction. Becoming a cyborg.

It's been a long journey, to be sure. From my position, now, it seems like it wasn't that bad--just something I had do do. From my position, then, it looked like I was going to have to scale the Himalayas with nothing but a bobbin of thread, a highlighter, and a half-empty bottle of hot sauce. It seemed, at times, like the odds were insurmountable--and worse, not worth attempting. I simply didn't have the tools to try.

Read the whole thing. If you can, please donate to Project Valour-IT.

Investments in the Future

2011-07-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hell in a Basket, from Team Marine, looks at Project Valour-IT not as a cost, but as an investment:

It’s not charity – It’s an investment in the future.

When a Service member is wounded in combat, in today’s conflict, the survival rate is many times higher than in previous wars, due mainly to much better and more timely medical care. However, the wounded can be left with the prospect of a long road of surgeries and rehabilitation.The cost to our military system in dollars is huge, and the cost to the individuals and their families is also gigantic.

I submit that, rather than a “cost” , a donation to Valour-IT is an investment. An investment in the future of our country and it’s people. Most of the injured are young, in the 19 – 25 year old bracket and otherwise healthy. With the technology available today, many of the injuries that would have relegated a person to a life as a dependent, shut-in, the wounded are looking at a far different future.

Read the whole thing.

You can make an investment, too.

On Fourth of July, Valour-IT Fights for Wounded Heroes’ Independence

2011-07-04T19:32:00.001-07:00

Soldiers’ Angels Project Valour-IT announces donors gifts for online fundraising competition

(PRWEB) July 04, 2011

On this day commemorating America’s independence, Soldiers’ Angels Project Valour-IT is fighting to help wounded warriors regain some independence of their own. Three days into its online fundraising competition, the project has raised over 10% of its goal of $100,000 to supply severely-wounded troops with voice-controlled laptops and other technology that aids their recovery, reintegration and independence.

“Using a voice-controlled laptop was first time I felt whole since I’d woken up after being wounded,” said Chuck Ziegenfuss, co-founder of Valour-IT and a Wounded Warrior himself. “It allowed me to do one thing that I had been able to do before I was wounded—use a computer. It allowed me to connect to my soldiers, friends, and family. That one thing began a long road to recovery. It gave me hope… hope that I could learn to do other things like I did before.”

To help enable Valour-IT to provide that hope to other wounded warriors and to thank the donors who make it possible, Soldiers’ Angels is offering special email gift certificates to all who donate at least $100 online, throughout the fundraiser.

$100+ donation: Certificate for a Soldiers’ Angels bracelet
$500+ donation: Certificate for limited-edition Valour-IT t-shirt
$1000+ donation: Certificate for a Valour-IT military challenge coin
$25,000+ donation: Dinner with Chuck Ziegenfuss in your hometown

For more information about the fundraising competition, email campaign(at)soldiersangels(dot)org or visit http://www.soldiersangels.org to donate. All funds raised go directly to wounded troops with no overhead costs removed, and requests for support are vetted through case managers.

About Soldiers’ Angels
Established in 2003, Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-based, award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing aid and comfort to members of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as veterans and military families. For more information, see http://www.soldiersangels.org. Tax ID# 20-0583415 CFC #25131

Wounded Hero Receives Laptop from Project Valour-IT

That one thing began a long road to recovery. It gave me hope… hope that I could learn to do other things like I did before.”

Valour-IT Fundraising Competition

2011-06-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

As the number of American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines suffering battlefield wounds continues to grow, today’s economic challenges continue to squeeze military support nonprofits. Project Valour-IT—which has supplied over 6,000 severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines with adaptive laptops and other devices to aid their recovery and reintegration—is addressing that squeeze with a fundraising technique it pioneered: online competition.

Held July 1-14, the Valour-IT fundraising competition will draw on blogging, Facebook, Twitter and other social media to raise money and awareness for the needs of wounded troops. Divided among four “virtual teams” named in honor of U.S. military service branches, participants will also use flyers, word-of-mouth and traditional media outlets to spread the word. The goal is to raise at least $100,000, which will meet increased demand for Valour-IT services through October 2011.

“Project Valour-IT changes lives,” says Soldiers’ Angels founder Patti Patton-Bader. “Wounded heroes report that being able to use a laptop helps them feel whole again. Physical therapists are actually designing therapy sessions around Wii Sports! And something as normal as a handheld GPS reduces stress and helps a hero cope. It’s just amazing what this project does!”

Each of the devices Valour-IT supplies helps restore confidence and independence for a wounded hero. Voice-activated laptops reconnect the wounded with the world and develop self-confidence by showing soldiers they can continue to be engaged and productive despite their injuries. Servicemembers also use the laptops to research their medical care or prepare for a post-military career. Physical therapists report Wii Sports is extremely motivational and beneficial when used in physical therapy settings, and wounded personnel with short-term memory loss due to TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and severe PTSD use GPS systems to keep from getting lost or disoriented when they move on to more independent living.

For more information about the fundraising competition, email campaign@soldiersangels.org or click here. All funds raised go directly to wounded troops with no overhead costs removed, and requests for support are vetted through case managers.

To join a fundraising team as a blogger or webmaster, email one of the team leaders below or click here on July 1st:

Air Force: greyhawk@mudvillegazette.com
Army: spear_sniper at yahoo.com
Marines: howlsatmoon@gmail.com
Navy: cdrsalamander at hotmail.com

Steel Shooter Shares Soldier Support

2011-05-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

Posted at SoldiersAngels.org:

Competition pistol shooter Mike Gallion and his teammate James Austin show their support for Soldiers’ Angels Project Valour-IT every time they step onto the competition range. Sponsored by several gun-related companies, Gallion and James compete in Steel Challenge competitions around the world.

Gallion’s newly-redesigned competition jersey features the words “Soldiers’ Angels Project Valour-IT” on the left sleeve, under a bright American flag. “I probably could have sold that space to a new sponsor,” Gallion admits, “but I had something more important to go there.” All of the logos and writing on the jersey are dyed into the fabric rather than silk-screened, and it's made of a special rip-stop material—features which will ensure Gallion and Austin’s shirts look good for years as they continue to spread the word about Valour-IT.

In addition to designing the new jersey to support Valour-IT, Gallion has organized Gunblogger Rendezvous events, annual weekends of fellowship and shooting that have brought in many thousands of dollars for Valour-IT in the last four years. Gallion's biggest sponsor, GunUp, is also a sponsor of Gunblogger Rendezvous.

After placing high in the Man of Steel Championships in Oregon, Gallion and Austin are headed to a state competition in Washington. Weeks later, Gallion will be overseas as one of only two people representing America at the European Steel Challenge Championships… carrying the Valour-IT message with him!

Soldiers’ Angels salutes Mike and James for their continuing support of America’s wounded heroes. Good luck in all your competitions!

Wiihab

2010-12-05T00:07:00.001-08:00

Last month, the community of milbloggers raised $95,205 for Soldiers' Angels Project Valour-IT. While this project started out with the goal of providing laptops with voice-activated software to severely wounded troops, it has since expanded to include other technologies. Personal GPS systems help build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD. Wii video game systems provided to medical facilities to assist with physical rehabilitation.

You might wonder how a video game would help with physical rehabilitation:

Using the game console's unique, motion-sensitive controller, Wii games require body movements similar to traditional therapy exercises. But patients become so engrossed mentally they are almost oblivious to the rigor, Osborn said.

"In the Wii system, because it's kind of a game format, it does create this kind of inner competitiveness. Even though you may be boxing or playing tennis against some figure on the screen, it's amazing how many of our patients want to beat their opponent," said Osborn of Southern Illinois Healthcare, which includes the hospital in Herrin. The hospital, about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis, bought a Wii system for rehab patients late last year.

"When people can refocus their attention from the tediousness of the physical task, oftentimes they do much better," Osborn said.

This kind of therapy seems ideal when working with wounded troops:

The Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital west of Chicago recently bought a Wii system for its spinal cord injury unit.

Pfc. Matthew Turpen, 22, paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident last year while stationed in Germany, plays Wii golf and bowling from his wheelchair at Hines. Turpen says the games help beat the monotony of rehab and seem to be doing his body good, too.

"A lot of guys don't have full finger function so it definitely helps being able to work on using your fingers more and figuring out different ways to use your hands" and arms, Turpen said.

At Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the therapy is well-suited to patients injured during combat in Iraq, who tend to be in the 19 to 25 age range — a group that's "very into" playing video games, said Lt. Col. Stephanie Daugherty, Walter Reed's chief of occupational therapy.

"They think it's for entertainment, but we know it's for therapy," she said.

While the big annual fundraiser by the milblogs may be over, the need for our wounded troops is always ongoing. If you can, please consider donating to Project Valour-IT.

2010 Fundraiser

2010-10-31T07:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're alive and kicking! All the details for this year's fundraiser can be found at www.soldiersangels.org/fundraiser.html.

Go Army/Navy/Marines/Air Force!

2009 totals - MARINES WIN!

2009-11-18T20:24:00.001-08:00

Thanks to all who participated and or contributed to this campaign. A lot of technology for our wounded heroes will be purchased because of you!

Total brought in for all teams, including donations not designated to any team: $113,124.90
By team -
Air Force: $15,662.17
Army: $32,758.80
Marines: $43,060.89
Navy: $19,108.04
General donations: $2,535.00

Another successful campaign!

2009-11-11T20:13:00.000-08:00

2009 marks another huge success for our 5th annual Soldiers' Angels Project Valour-IT internet fundraiser. We broke the 100K mark and had a smooth campaign from Oct 26th through November 11th. The official tallies will be available next week as all the checks sent in are calculated into the totals.

This was a team effort and we want to thank all who participated and donated. 100% of your donation go towards Soldiers' Angels Project Valour-IT go directly to the purchase and delivery of technology for the wounded. This fund will need additional support throughout the year as the need for our wounded grows.

Soldiers' Angels hopes you will continue to support us by adopting a hero, joining any of our 30 teams, by donating through the CFC fund,from your generous contributions and/or by just spreading the angel word. Together, wingtip to wingtip, we can accomplish so much for our heroes who put heir lives on the line for us.

Video Contest Winners

2009-11-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

We would like to take this time to thank all those who created and submitted videos for the first annual Valour-IT video contest. We hope that all participants will promote these on their blogs as we enter into the final days of our fundraiser. Congratulations to our winners!!!

1st place Project Valour-IT: Help for our heroes from No Sheeples Here

This winner will receive a voice-activated laptop given in their name and a $75 gift certificate to the Soldiers'Angels store.

2nd place NEVER GOING TO BE ALONE from the Watch Cat

This Winner will receive a Wii donated in their name and $50 gift certificate for the Soldiers' Angels store.

3rd place How to Donate Video from the Greyhawks at Mudville Gazette.

This winner will receive a handheld GPS donated in their name and a $25 gift certificate for the Soldiers' Angels store.

Valour-IT Continues

2009-11-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

Soldiers' Angels leadership and the Valour-IT team leaders discussed today's events and decided that the Valour-IT competition will continue through November 11th as originally planned.

We remember that though we enjoy friendly competition, underneath it all we are always united in spirit and support of each other.

For those who are interested in particularly supporting those affected by the massacre at Fort Hood, Soldiers' Angels is developing plans.

Jump on board Project Valour-IT

2009-11-05T04:15:00.000-08:00

Seems it is all the rage to have an armed force Soldiers' Angels Valour-IT thermometer widget on a blog or website right now! It is not too late to join in, the fundraiser does not end until November 11th.

1.There are a variety of items up for Valour-IT auction. Go bid on one of them!

2. Go register your blog or website to join one of the 4 teams and get your own thermometer widget.

3. Make a donation - no matter how small. Remember 100% of proceeds go directly to purchase & delivery of technology to our wounded heroes.

4. Tell everyone you know about Project Valour-IT! Create a viral email or put on you Facebook wall.

5. Buy a fabulous gift for yourself or for someone for the holidays from one of the businesses supporting Valour-IT. Or register for the opportunity to win a beautiful Christmas quilt.

Though either Army, Air Force, Navy/Coast Guard, or Marines will be declared the winner of the competition and will gain bragging rights until next year, our wounded heroes are the winners! Go Project Valour-IT!

All-in-One for the New Week

2009-11-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

We're gearing up for another full week of fundraising, and lots of exciting things are happening! Here's your one-stop shop for Valour-IT activities, resources, and info...

Activities

Auctions: We're over 30 items now, and more will be added later today. There is some fantastic stuff in there!
Video Contest: Win the opportunity to have a Valour-IT item donated in your name, as well as a gift certificate to the Angels Store, which can be used to buy a care package for a deployed soldier (among other things).
Percentages: Supportive companies and individuals are offering a percentage of their sales (up to 100%) to Valour-IT.
New Media: Don't forget to share Twitter and Facebook with those who use them. Squidoo can be helpful, too.

Resources

Valour-IT in Action: Soldiers' Angels recently brought Valour-IT to Brooke Army Medical Center. It includes pictures!--A great resource for telling people about the project's impact.
FAQ: Answers to commonly asked questions about the fundraiser.
Twitter and blogging feeds: The latest news and chatter. If you want the code to put them on your blog, email beths@soldiersangels.org or holly@triogroto.com.
Valour-IT Google Group: Get all the latest info and answers. Anyone can join.
This blog: It's a tremendous resource of tips and stories about Valour-IT that an be very inspirational/motivational to donors. Take a look around!
Challenges: Keep your eyes open for people/companies offering to match donations for a team. The Marine Team has used this tool to great effect.

Noteworthy posts:

Halloween: CS Navy makes a great point.
Courage: Cassandra draws on some fantastic stories of the kinds of people for which Valour-IT was created.
Impact: The blessings of Valour-IT from the perspective of a wounded warrior's wife.

As you find other noteworthy posts, please share them on your blog, the Valour-IT group, or here in comments.

Marines, you may be in first, but knowing the Army's history in this competition, I hope you're prepared! Army, are you really going to let them beat you? Navy and Air Force, are you going to let the Army and Marine teams run away with this?

We've got a full head of steam now, and great resources to make this a huge success... Let's go!

Giving a Percentage

2009-11-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

A number of business people have stepped up to provide their unique support to Valour-IT. From jewelry to books to clothing, people are doing what they can to help wounded warriors reconnect as they recover.

Vision-Strike-Wear.Com, designers and printers of military t-shirts for domestic and deployed military units and Bouhammer, leading milblogger, have teamed up to develop Twitter T-shirts for Valour-IT. The design features a Twitter bird in camouflage and a military style helmet, with a variety of catch phrases. All sales of the Twitter t-shirts are being donated to Valour-IT. Tood Gilbert of Vision-Strike-Wear.com says, "It is our pleasure to be able to participate and support this more-than-worthy cause."

Military wife and entrepreneur Andi Hurley has been a longtime supporter of Soldiers' Angels. When she opened her store, MilitaryMatters.org, she designed a necklace especially for Soldiers' Angels and pledged to donate a portion of her profits to the organization. During the Valour-IT fundraiser (October 26 to November 11), she will donate $2 from ANY Military Matters purchase and $5 from each Soldiers’ Angels necklace to Valour-IT.

From October 26 through November 11 Author Judy Pugh is donating 10% of the cost of each sale of her inspirational new book, Reporting for Doodie, to Valour-IT. Reporting for Dootie is her story of caring for her grandson while both her daughter and son-in-law were deployed, and her discovery of “a secret vault filled with friends I never knew I had. I found myself in the midst of an unexpected divorce, facing the possible loss of my home and making a major career change when someone, somewhere, took a look at my proverbial ‘plate’ and thought… ‘there’s a little corner of her plate that isn’t taken, she needs a toddler to care for…oh, and at the same time, let’s throw in a rarely-heard-of medical condition to make her life even more interesting.’”

Grammy Awarding-winning singer-songwriter James Hooker is also pitching in with a beautiful donation. He is in the final stages of recording a new arrangement of his powerful Hangin’ Out with the Boys, which will be included in a new CD by the same name. When it is complete, he will be donating all proceeds from downloads of the songs through December 31 to Project Valour-IT. You can watch a video of the original Hangin’ Out with the Boys below.

AUCTIONS BEGIN

2009-10-30T19:37:00.001-07:00

We are very excited and pleased to announce the kickoff of the annual Valour-IT auctions. Teams who put items up for auction will be credited with the amount of the sale towards their final total.

There will eventually be over a hundred items up for auction, raging from gorgeous autographed Navy lithographs and books, to a personally-autographed Day by Day print for the Air Force Team, sports memorabilia, and many other interesting items. It's a great opportunity to purchase something special for yourself or as a gift and know that by doing so you helped a wounded soldier.

This round of auctions ends in seven days. If you have an item you would like to auction for Valour-IT, please contact campaign@soldiersangels.org.

Now go bid on some items! All item listings can be found here.

Video Contest

2009-10-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Contest deadline extended until Friday November 6th midnight central time. Winners announced the 7th.

Goal: Make a 3 minute or shorter video about Project Valour-IT (keep it clean folks)

To Qualify: Your video must be posted by midnight central time November 3rd on one of the websites or blogs registered on a team for Project Valour-IT and email campaign@soldiersangels.org when it is live. You may enter as many as you want. If you do not have a website or blog and would like to participate, please contact any of the owners on the blogroll.

Winners: The winner will be announced November 4th 9:00 PM central time

Prizes:
1st place - a voice-activated laptop given in the name of the winner and a $75 gift certificate to the Soldiers' Angels store

2nd place - a Wii donated in the name of the winner and a $50 gift certificate for the Soldiers' Angels store

3rd place - a handheld GPS donated in the name of the winner and a $25 gift certificate for the Soldiers' Angels store

Here We Go!

2009-10-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

Midnight is the official kickoff!!!! First off, thank you to our our team leaders. This fundraiser would not even happen without their dedication and commitment. And thank you to all are stepping up to help spread the word on blogs, email and websites!

Don't forget to use all the resources we have, include Facebook, Twitter (#valourit), and similar tools.

GOOD LUCK! HAVE FUN!!!! The heroes will all win because of your efforts!

~Greta, Shelle, Beth~

Angels, Laptops and Cartoons

2009-10-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

The highly-talented Damon Shackelford has penned a fantastic series of cartoons featuring Soldiers' Angels. His latest installment of Delta Bravo Sierra drills down to Valour-IT:

Rusty also featured Valour-IT in his cartoons around last year's fundraiser. See the list below for his other recent strips about Soldiers' Angels, or just click here to catch up with the current intertwined storylines:

On Valour-IT
On Soldiers' Angels
On First Response Backpacks

Thank you so much, Rusty. They are all fantastic! Can't wait to see what you come up with for next week!

Online Registration

2009-10-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

Online registration is up and running!

Start here, where you can also find links to Twitter and Facebook, and the new Valour-IT graphic--just click on graphic for the team you want to join. If you already registered directly with your team leader, you'll still want to go through this process to be added to the team blogroll and receive your widget code.

Right now, the widgets show a notice of the start date rather than a donation button. On the 26th, we will "flip the switch" and the donation button will appear.

If you have technical questions, please email holly-at-triogroto.com or beths-at-soldiersangels.org. All other questions, contact your team leader or campaign-at-soldiersangels.org.

Thank you all so much for joining the Valour-IT fundraising competition! Have fun, and good luck!

October 26th -Nov 11, 2009

2009-10-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

Follow @valourit on Twitter and Facebook!
(email campaign@soldiersangels.org for more information)

We are gearing up for the 4th annual Soldiers' Angels Project Valour-IT Internet fundraiser! Our team leaders are...

Air Force: Mudville Gazette - greyhawk@mudvillegazette.com
Army: Blackfive - blackfive@gmail.com
Marine Corps: Villainous Company - cassandra.vc@gmail.com
Navy: US Naval Institute Blog - mripley@usni.org

If you would like to donate an item for the eBay auction planned, please contact holly@hollyaho.com.

Still Going Strong!

2009-07-09T15:22:00.001-07:00

Between the online fundraiser and the big Soldiers' Angels Gala in DC, things got pretty crazy last Fall...

I just wanted to let all of you know that the latest info on Valour-IT can always be found on the official Soldiers' Angels Valour-IT pages.

We have now distributed well over 3,000 and the project is growing as the need continues.

Thank you to all who have supported us over the years!

Preliminary Totals

2008-11-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

The competition aspect of the fundraiser officially ended at midnight Pacific on November 27, and the team totals at that time (plus checks received by mail) will be the totals used for the standings. However, the widgets will remain active until Monday (Dec. 1) when the main website will be updated, and I will give full fundraising numbers after that. We also have a few auctions (unaffiliated donations) that will not be completed until tomorrow night.

So, here are the preliminary totals (I'm still waiting for word on a full tally of team-specific check donations, so these could change):

Army	31,927
Navy	21,475
Marines	10081
Air Force	9437
Coast Guard	1766
Unaffiliated	8400
TOTAL	$83,086

The level of unaffiliated donations may continue to rise significantly, as those who send checks tend not to designate a team, and any additional donations coming in through the widgets from now until Monday will not be credited to a specific team in the final standings.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Thank you all for your generosity of time, spirit and donations, and for all your hard work. Due to a number of factors, it was a bit tough this year, but you did amazing work. And because of that work, Valour-IT is going to be able to continue to supply voice-activated laptops and other technology to help those who have given so much. Thank you!

(I'll have more detailed thank yous after Monday when the full numbers come in).

Standing Up

2008-11-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

"It really lets me know that there are people out there that still care about the troops and what they are sacrificing for this country."

"Words cannot convey how very much this means to me."

"It was the first time I felt whole."

"I am proud to serve this country knowing there are people like you that I am protecting."

...the words of recipients of Valour-IT-provided technology to support their recovery.

I suppose I could give you a guilt trip, paint a picture that would have you wiping your eyes, etc...

But there's no need for guilt trips. It's not a matter of emotion. It's simply the right thing to do. The government behemoth doesn't move fast enough to meet all the needs of our wounded veterans; we can... But only with the help of hundreds and thousands of patriotic, caring citizens like you. Citizens who know the obligation we have to those who have stood the line in our place and left a piece of themselves on that line. Citizens who know how blessed they are to sit down and use their computer without a second thought. Citizens who will never know what it's like to wake up and wonder if they'll ever be able to use their battered arm again. Citizens who are safe and comparatively carefree... because someone else paid the sometimes-steep price for their freedom.

It's not something to feel guilty for. But it is something that we will always be indebted for. They stood up for us in hard times, signed on the dotted line when they knew it meant wartime service. Now it's our turn to stand up for them in hard times, when the money isn't coming so easily for us.

Five dollars? It's five more than Valour-IT had before. Ten? Fifteen? Like raindrops running down the window pane turn to rivulets, steams and rivers, we can be a mighty force when we each do our part.

If you haven't donated, please do. If you have, thank you! And please, tell a friend or a faily member about the impact of Valour-IT on wounded soldiers.

Drip, drip, drip... it all adds up, and every cent is needed. This Thanksgiving, please thank a wounded warrior by helping him as he fights to regain his life.

It's our turn to stand up.

Latest Totals

2008-11-25T20:56:00.000-08:00

Due to unaffiliated donations (donations made to Valour-IT but not in the name of any team), our fundraising total is over $6,000 higher than the widgets show. As always, there are other reasons for any variations between this and the widget totals, plus we still have checks to count. With a big push, I think we could still break $100,000...

Look who's on top, now... Navy has some work to do! ;)

	Total Donors	Total Raised
Army	214	29,402
Navy	121	21,025
Marines	92	8601.2
Air Force	98	6693.27
Coast Guard	28	1555.95
Unaffiliated	61	6116
TOTAL	614	73,393

Valour-IT Fundraising Totals - Day 11

2008-11-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

Here are the official totals at midnight on Day 11, November 21 (once again, these may be larger than the widget totals at that time, for reasons outlined here). In fact, these totals do not include all checks received, so the actual total is even larger.

	Total Donors	Total Raised
Navy	107	20,520
Army	184	17,614
Marines	83	7251
Air Force	85	6021
Coast Guard	24	1366
Unaffiliated	48	5701
TOTAL	424	58,473

Valour-IT Fundraising Totals - Day 10

2008-11-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

Here are the official totals at midnight on Day 10, November 20 (again, these may be larger than the widget totals at that time, for reasons outlined here). In fact, these totals do not include all checks received, so the actual total is even larger.

	Total Donors	Total Raised
Navy	106	20,055
Army	179	17,179
Marines	78	6481
Air Force	80	5233
Coast Guard	24	1366
Unaffiliated	42	5451
TOTAL	403	$55,765

Valour-IT Fundraising Totals - Day 9

2008-11-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

Here are the official totals at midnight on Day 9, November 19 (again, these may be larger than the widget totals at that time, for reasons outlined here). In fact, these totals do not include all checks received, so the actual total is even larger.

There has definitely been an modest but very clear upswing in daily totals over the last four days since the nadir of the 15th, and I expect that to continue when today's numbers come in. I think that means we're still building our ground game, so with a week still to go, I think we have tremendous room for growth.

Let's make it happen!

	Total Donors	Total Raised
Navy	100	19,605
Army	170	16,848
Marines	71	5986.2
Air Force	70	4703.27
Coast Guard	22	1165.85
Unaffiliated	41	4940
TOTAL	374	53,248

Valour-IT Fundraising Totals - Day 8

2008-11-19T09:39:00.000-08:00

CORRECTION: The totals were matched to the wrong teams. They have been corrected. I must've scrambled something when I copied it over from the Excel file. My apologies for any confusion or alarm.

Here are the official totals at midnight on Day 8, November 18 (again, these may be larger than the widget totals at that time, for reasons outlined here). In fact, these totals do not include all checks received, so the actual total is even larger.

	Total Donors	Total Raised
Navy	95	18709.85
Army	159	13,673
Marines	70	5936.2
Air Force	69	4683
Coast Guard	19	990.85
Unaffiliated	36	4940
TOTAL	353	48,933

Autographed books for auction!

2008-11-18T12:25:00.000-08:00

Team Army has been very busy collecting authors to assist them in their plan to come from behind and beat Team Navy.

Seven autographed science fiction and techno-thriller books are already up for bid on the Soldiers' Angels eBay account. Check it out! If you're not a fan of sci-fi or techno-thrillers, pass it on--maybe a friend would like to bid.

As for the rest of you... looks like Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy and Marines need to get a move on! ;) Just email Soldiers' Angles with the info about your items and we'll make sure they get up on eBay as fast as possible (Team Army has graciously asked that funds from the auction be credited to Valour-IT in general, and not to a specific team).

Here's the press release about the Army auctions:

Best-Selling Authors Provide Autographed Books to Support Project Valour-IT

Seven noted authors have stepped up to support Project Valour-IT by donating autographed books for auction, and more are anticipated to join them. The books are being auctioned on eBay to help raise money to help Soldier's Angels provide adaptive laptops to wounded or disabled service members.

David Weber, David Drake, John Ringo, David J. Williams, Dean Ing, Mark L. Van Name, and Travis "Doc" Taylor have all agreed to provide works for auction as part of the annual fundraiser, which kicked off on Veterans Day and ends Thanksgiving Day. The works are being auctioned on the eBay Giving Works listings (seller spliffslips) with the money raised going directly and fully to the Project Valour-IT fund.

Currently, there are seven items up for bid on eBay:

The Last Centurion by John Ringo.

The Quantum Connection by Travis S. Taylor.

Warp Speed by Travis S. Taylor.

Von Neuman's War by John Ringo and Travis S. Taylor (autographed by Travis S. Taylor only).

The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 1 by David Drake.

Vorpal Blade by John Ringo and Travis S. Taylor (autographed by Travis S. Taylor only).

Slanted Jack by Mark L. Van Name.

Works by David Weber, Dave Williams, and Dean Ing will be posted for auction soon. The end time for each auction is different, so please check each listing to determine its end date.

John Ringo is a New York Times best-selling author with more than a million copies of his works in print. A veteran (Airborne!), he is known for his solo "Posleen" and "Ghost" series, as well as his "Empire of Man" series co-authored with David Weber.

Travis S. "Doc" Taylor is a rising light in the science fiction sky. He's earned not only a Ph.D. in optical science and engineering, but Master's degrees in physics, aerospace engineering, and astronomy and a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering as well. The author of several books, he may be best known for the "Looking Glass" series co-authored with John Ringo. The start of a series of video interviews with Taylor can be found here .

David Drake is the New York Times best-selling author of the "Hammer's Slammers" series. Having written on a variety of subjects, his Hammer's Slammers work is based on his service in Vietnam and he is known to describe the series as the 11th Armored Cavalry with ray guns. The start of a series of video interviews with Drake can be found at here.

Mark L. Van Name is an author who also runs a technology assessment company in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. A former Executive Vice President for Ziff Davis Media and national technology columnist, he's published over a thousand computer-related articles in addition to his "Slanted Jack" series and numerous short stories. The start of a series of video interviews with Van Name can be found here.

David Weber is the New York Times best-selling author of the acclaimed "Honor Harrington" series. The author of multiple best-selling books and series, he has seen his works develop a world-wide reach and following. The start of a series of video interviews with him can be found here.

David J. Williams is another rising star in the science fiction universe. Born in Hertfordshire, England, he now resides in Washington, DC. Mirrored Heavens is his first novel.

Dean Ing is the author of multiple science fiction and techno-thriller novels. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he earned a doctorate in communications and worked in aerospace engineering. He served on the Citizen's Advisory Council on National Space Policy.

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Technology supplied includes:
Voice-controlled Laptops - Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions.

Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to TBI and severe PTSD.

The experience of Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered serious hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important these laptops and other technologies can be to a wounded service member's recovery.

Established in 2003, Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) non-profit providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as veterans and military families. For more information, see www.soldiersangels.org or call 626-529-5114. Tax ID# 20-0583415

Valour-IT Fundraising Totals - Day 7

2008-11-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

Here are the official totals after exactly one week of fundraising (again, these may be larger than the widget totals at that time, for reasons outlined here). In fact, these totals do not include all checks received, so the actual total is even larger.

We have 10 more days to go, so we're not even halfway there. Let's continue spreading the word--this is a breadth issue in terms of number of donors, not a depth issue (nobody's pockets are as deep as they used to be), so tell your friends, neighbors and coworkers how they can directly assist the recovery of a wounded soldier!

	Total Donors	Total Raised
Navy	88	18,270
Army	148	13,012
Marines	66	4305
Air Force	60	4422.42
Coast Guard	17	965
Unaffiliated	36	4930
TOTAL	327	45,904

Valour-IT Fundraising Totals - Day 6

2008-11-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

Here are the official totals through Day 6, November 16 (again, these may be larger than the widget totals at that time, for reasons outlined here). It looks like the Marines have pulled up into 3rd place. Watch out, Navy! ;)

	Total Donors	Total Raised
Navy	80	17,850
Army	135	12,377
Marines	58	3780
Air Force	50	3617
Coast Guard	13	795
Unaffiliated	26	3535
TOTALS	282	41,9545

Resources for Supporters

2008-11-16T17:22:00.001-08:00

Thank you to all who have worked so tirelessly on this competition!

For bloggers and supporters who want to spread the news about the fundraiser, here are some things that might be helpful...

Basic resources:

Blogrolls and code (scroll down and click on the signup for a team)
Recent posts about Valour-IT (below sign-up links; scroll all the way down for RSS/ATOM feed)
Moment of Thanks - they are featuring SA this week on their homepage, and have a page specifically for Valour-IT (you can use any photos on there; just click, then right-click and save). They are also looking for additional pictures to include--email me.
Flyer (right-click and download)
Latest press release
News item on SA site (condensed press release)
Links to eBay auctions coming ASAP

Possible points to include in posts:

All donations specifically to Valour-IT are used ONLY for purchasing and shipping equipment. No overhead.
There’s still a war going on, even if it's not on the front pages
Valour-IT has expanded its mission to include Wii and GPS. We are addressing needs specifically raised by medical personnel.
“Give up something to give to the troops”—tell people, “if you don’t feel you can donate, consider how much your daily little luxuries cost and what you could give if you gave them for a week.”
A special, limited-edition Valour-IT coin that is not for sale will be given to all who donate $250 and up (retroactive to cover all donors from the beginning).

If you haven't already signed up for a team, please do. It helps team leaders disseminate information and highlight good posts. If you know anybody at the service academies, please comment below; we'd like to tap into their competitive tendencies.

One final note: the size of each donation is not nearly as important to our success as the total number of donations--in this time when some people are worried about their finances, it's so important to reach out as far and wide as possible. Four people who donate $25 each can ultimately be more valuable than one person who donates $150--the four donors can each recruit four more donors, etc, etc... It's all about networking.

We have 12 more days to go. Let's make them count!

Valour-IT Fundraising Totals - Day 5

2008-11-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

Here are the official totals through Day 5, November 15 (again, these may be larger than the widget totals at that time, for reasons outlined here).

In this coming week we'll need to reach out strongly beyond the milblogs in order to draw in other people. We'll have some posts and resources up soon to help people spread the word.

Due to the $10,000 donation Navy received, we are averaging well over $100 per donor. However, when we remove the large donation, that goes down significantly. But it's still significantly above the past averages for this competition. That means that the under-$100 donors are fewer than usual. This is a challenge, as the donations of $25 and $50 add up quickly and are the foundation of Valour-IT's donors.

So, let's get out the message that every little bit really does help. We still have over ten days to go, and it all adds up...

	Total Donors	Total Raised
Air Force	49	3617
Army	127	11,637
Coast Guard	11	725
Marines	57	3630
Navy	70	16624
Unaffiliated	23	2910
TOTAL	337	39143

Valour-IT Fundraising Totals - Day 4

2008-11-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

Here are the official totals through Day 4, November 14 (again, these are larger than the widget totals at that time, for reasons outlined here). Note that some but not all checks are included. I will be looking into that today:

	Total Donors	Total Raised
Air Force	46	3497
Army	120	11,012
Coast Guard	8	580
Marines	54	3378
Navy	67	15,999
Unaffiliated	22	2885
TOTAL	317	37,351

Valour-IT in Words and Pictures

2008-11-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

Our first Valour-IT artwork from this year's fundraising competition has come in, thanks to DBS:

Thanks so much for a great cartoon, DBS!

Totals - Day 3

2008-11-14T06:18:00.000-08:00

Here are the official totals through Day 3, November 1 (again, these are larger than the widget totals at that time, for reasons outlined here):

	Daily Donated	Total Donors	Total Raised
Air Force	385	40	3257
Army	3890	91	9167
Coast Guard	235	7	460
Marines	548	46	3378
Navy	192	46	5164
Unaffiliated	1010	20	2650
TOTAL	6260	250	$24076

Totals - Day 2

2008-11-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

Here are the official totals through Day 2, November 12 (again, these are larger than the widget totals at that time, for reasons outlined here):

	Daily Donors	Daily Donations	Total Raised
Navy	19	1230	4972
Army	32	2221	5277
Air Force	6	260	2872
Marines	14	1240	2830
Coast Guard	0	0	225
Unaffiliated	1	50	1640
	21	1550	$17,816

The numbers for yesterday are a bit disappointing, but we'll have some major blog coverage tomorrow that should kick things up again.

Totals - Day 1

2008-11-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

Great news! The total donations for yesterday are even larger than depicted on the fundraising page, for two reasons: 1) There are over $1000 in non-team donations (made in general to Valour-IT) and 2) If someone donating through PayPal doesn't wait and allow the computer to redirect them to the Soldiers' Angels site after the donation is complete, the donation will go through (be credited to Valour-IT), but it will not show up in the widgets (we're working on a system to add them in manually at the end of the day).

So, here are the official totals and standings at Midnight, ET on November 11 (revised):

	Donors	Donations
Navy	27	3742
Army	37	3056
Marines	21	1590
Air Force	21	2612
Coast Guard	3	225
Unaffiliated	14	1590
Totals	123	12,815

Wii for the Wounded?!!

2008-11-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

Teenagers and families aren't the only ones going wild for Wii. Whole-body video game systems like Wii can help wounded warriors recover! As part of its expanded mission, Project Valour-IT is working to ensure the wounded have access to the Wii systems and other technologies that support their recovery.

While continuing to supply voice-controlled laptops, and working closely with the Department of Defense caseworkers and medical personnel, Valour-IT is now committed to supplying Wii game systems and GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) systems to severely wounded veterans.

Video games and GPS systems may be luxuries or toys for some people, but they can have a powerful effect on a wounded soldier's recovery and independence. Physical therapists report Wii Sports and similar programs are extremely motivational and helpful when used in physical therapy, but they are not standard equipment in military hospitals. Wounded personnel with short-term memory loss due to TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and severe PTSD use personal and vehicle GPS systems to keep from getting lost or disoriented when they move to more independent living after initial in-hospital recovery.

Sound too crazy to be true? Here's what a chief of rehabilitative medicine said after receiving two Wii systems from Soldiers' Angels, not long after SA became aware of the need:

We are aware of many colleagues throughout the Veterans Affairs medical system who have developed dynamic Wii programs in multiple areas, including PolyTrauma, Spinal Cord Injury/Traumatic Brain Injury, and Long Term Care...Wii gaming has great potential for physical, mental and emotional well-being. We are delighted to receive this support from Soldiers' Angels.

Click to see the entire letter:

Give it Up for the Troops!

2008-11-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

The need is great right now--the accounts are empty and the only way the wounded will get laptops, Wiis or handheld GPS from Soldiers' Angels to assist their recovery is through the money raised by this competition. Financial times are uncertain, of course, but that doesn't change the needs out there.

Captain (now Major) Chuck Ziegenfuss used a voice-controlled
laptop after he was seriously wounded in Iraq in 2005.

This year's theme is "give up something to give to the troops." We may be worried about the future or feeling a financial pinch right now, but how many small luxuries do we spend our money on each week, luxuries that add up?: that $4 cup of gourmet coffee instead of the plain stuff that's free at work ($20 for the week), the $50 movie night out with weekend with the family when $10 would get a recently-released DVD and a couple bags of microwave popcorn (that's $40), the nice shirt on clearance at the department store that would look great on you but isn't really needed at this time ($15?)... the candybar you buy from the snack machine every afternoon to get you over the 3:00 hump ($5 a week), and on and on. The luxuries add up...

There's a lot of talk about how America as a whole isn't sacrificing for this war. How about we change that, starting with the small things?

Join us as we blog, share, and "sacrifice" something for the wounded whose sacrifice gives that very word its true meaning. Freedom isn't free, of course. And as blogger Grim says, "Project Valour-IT is for the ones that have paid some of the highest prices. The only ones who have paid more are beyond earthly help."

What are you going to give up today to give to the troops?

Fundraising Competition 2008

2008-11-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, and the wonderful bloggers out there have stepped up to raise money for Valour-IT (the mission has expanded recently, so make sure you're up-to-date). This year we are particularly proud to have a Coast Guard team aboard.

Here are the teams for 2008 (blogrolls coming soon):

Air Force: Mudville Gazette
Army: Blackfive
Marine Corps: Doc Russia
Navy: Boston Maggie and Information Dissemination
Coast Guard: CG Blog

Please pick a branch and join the fun! The competition lasts through Thanksgiving Day.

Changing Times

2008-11-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

In its three short years of existence, Project Valour-IT has delivered over 2,700 voice-controlled laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. Now it is expanding its mission to meet the technological needs of the wounded in additional ways that support their physical and psychological recovery. While continuing to supply voice-controlled laptops, and working closely with the Department of Defense caseworkers and medical personnel, Valour-IT is now committed to supplying Wii game systems and GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) systems to severely wounded veterans.

Video games and GPS systems may be luxuries or toys for some people, but they can have a powerful effect on a wounded soldier's recovery and independence. Physical therapists report Wii Sports and similar programs are extremely motivational and helpful when used in physical therapy, but they are not standard equipment in military hospitals. Wounded personnel with short-term memory loss due to TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and severe PTSD use personal and vehicle GPS systems to keep from getting lost or disoriented when they move to more independent living after initial in-hospital recovery.

In order to meet these emerging needs, Valour-IT will conduct its 4th annual online Veterans Day fundraiser beginning November 11.

Chuck Wins!

2008-08-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, inspiration and co-creator of Valour-IT has won an award for describing how the ability to operate his computer by voice changed his life.

After he was wounded (and before Valour-IT was even an idea), Soldiers' Angels helped Chuck get a laptop, and a reader of his blog sent him Dragon Naturally Speaking software. Last Monday, he won three years of Dragon software updates and an electronic personal travel assistant from Nuance, the maker of Dragon, for his entry in a Nuance-sponsored competition to describe how its software impacts users.

Chuck wrote:

I use Dragon Naturally Speaking to regain control of the life that was temporarily robbed from me. The use of Dragon Naturally Speaking to use a computer, to connect, to do something that I was able to do before I was injured made me feel somewhat whole, somewhat normal, for the first time.

The press release put out by Nuance highlighted his involvement with Valour-IT:

A loyal reader of the blog bought Ziegenfuss a copy of Dragon Naturally Speaking to allow him to freely dictate his thoughts without relying on others. Once he started using Dragon to blog, Ziegenfuss’ readers agreed that this technology should be available to other soldiers who were in the same situation that he was. Ziegenfuss partnered with SoldiersAngels to form VALOUR-IT (Voice Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops) with a vision to provide laptops equipped with Dragon NaturallySpeaking to wounded soldiers whose injuries prevented them from operating a computer manually.

When we created Project Valour-IT, we relied heavily on Dragon Naturally Speaking to help the recipients use the laptops we supplied. Fortunately, we were able to buy the software at a bulk rate, and hundreds of wounded military men and women were able to easily access a computer with just their voices. Since then, the Department of Defense Computer Assistance Program has taken over the voice software side of things (allowing us to spend all our funds on simply equipping quality laptops with regular software to which various adaptive technologies will be added). But it all began with Dragon. As Patti said in the Soldiers' Angels press release, "It takes both technology and the human touch to help our wounded warriors recover, and Soldiers' Angels is thrilled to see the two work together so well in Project Valour-IT."

Bravo, Chuck! And to Nuance, thank you for being there when we needed you!

Trike for the Troops AAR

2008-07-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

It was a smashing success, though fortunately that was only a figure of speech!

Rick White had promised some new innovations this year, and he didn't disappoint. His adult-size tricyicle with shelves holding a keyboard, telephone and other office materials, turned heads! And this year he more than doubled what he raised last year for care pacakges to the 82nd Airborne. He raised $10,690, which will buy least thirteen laptops for the wounded!

After the ride on Colorado's Bike to Work Day (June 25, 2008), Soldiers' Angels Colorado State Coordinator Kathy Dean presented Rick with a Soldiers' Angels Golden Wing Award and an American flag that had been flown in Ramadi, Iraq.

Thank you Rick for your spirit, your generosity, and your love for the troops!

Rick has pictures and video about his wild ride at Trike for the Troops.

2600!

2008-04-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

This is actually a case of good news and bad news...

Good News: as of the end of March, Project Valour-IT has distributed 2,600 laptops to the wounded! Besides using the voice-control software to do typical computer tasks, people are discovering that the laptops are very useful for therapies related to things like Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) or eye injuries. Part of therapies for these injuries often involves "retraining" the brain to do everything from maintain a sense of physical balance to speech pathology or strengthening an injured eye. Having a laptop enables people recovering from these kinds of wounds to use the software provided by caregivers to boost or continue their physical and occupational therapies.

Bad News: We are scraping the bottom of the barrel again. Due to an increase in wounded during first part of the "surge" in Iraq in 2007, the demand for laptops increased. We were able to meet the need at the time, but as we head into the summer months, donations will go down and we are concerned about our ability to meet future needs.

The laptops are having very powerful effects in the social, psychological and physical recoveries of those who "laid it on the line" for all of us. Let us do everything we can to make sure we continue to support them in their time of need.

Trikes for the Wounded Troops?!

2008-02-16T10:11:00.001-08:00

Actually...

more laptops for wounded troops

Trike for the Troops is a fundraising effort by Rick White, held in conjunction with Colorado's yearly Bike to Work Day. He gathers pledges for completing the 5-mile ride from his home to his office on a tricycle. Last year he raised $3500, which was used to send care packages to deployed military personnel.

This year, Trike for the Troops is teaming up with Soldiers' Angels, and the money raised will go to Project Valour-IT! Bike to Work Day will be June 28, 2008 and you can pledge your donation to Soldiers' Angels at Ricks' website, where he includes videos and reports of last year's event.

Congrats to Rick for his creativity and spirited support of the troops. As one pledger wrote, "Snoopy would be proud."

Valour-IT and World War IV

2008-02-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

The influential blog and long-time Valour-IT supporter Powerline* recently announced its 2007 Book of the Year. As part of the award, $25,000 was donated anonymously to Soldiers' Angels in the name of the winner, Norman Podhoretz. He received the honor for World War IV, a book about what is sometimes called the "Global War on Terrorism."

At the award ceremony, Soldiers' Angels President Patti Bader announced that the entire donation would be applied to Project Valour-IT. Depending on laptop prices, that's 30 to 40 laptops for severely-wounded troops in one fell swoop! Considering the book's topic, how wonderful that the $25,000 is going to assist the wounded who have fought that war around the world.

As Patti pointed out in an informal interview at the event, it's only appropriate that an award created by a blog be applied to a project that was birthed and nurtured by blogs:

Huge thanks go out to Powerline, Mr. Podhoretz, and the anonymous donor. Through their efforts and generosity, more wounded soldiers will be able to reconnect with their still-deployed brothers, stay in touch with family and friends, educate themselves, and continue to be an integrated and functioning part of our world throughout their recovery and rehabilitation.

We at Valour-IT are repeatedly humbled and thrilled by the support we get for our mission. At the latest count, we have distributed over 2100 laptops, thanks to the efforts of people like Norman Podhoretz, the authors of Powerline, and the literally thousands of other donors who continue to make Valour-IT possible.

*Note: as an apolitical non-profit, Soldiers' Angels/Valour-IT does not endorse the politics of Powerline, nor Mr. Podhoretz' book, nor any other partisan political ideas/activity. However, we are proud and honored to be associated with people who are demonstrating such generosity towards those who serve and sacrifice for us all.

Media

2007-12-02T07:36:00.001-08:00

In order to clean up the sidebar a bit, I've transferred our older Media links to this post. It is linked on the sidebar along with the most recent press coverage, and more links will be moved from the sidebar as they are replaced by newer coverage.

Baltimore Examiner - Saying a Digital Thanks to the Troops
MediaShift (PBS) 11/16/06 - Top Five
Army Times (11/14/06) - Blogging Competition Raises $186,000 for Military Charity
Tech_Space (USA Today) - Sound off! Laptops!
DefenseTech.org - Laptops for Injured Troops
Powerline - Anchors Aweigh
Army Times (11/2/06) - Bloggers Compete to Raise Cash for Computer Charity
Hot Air - Project Valour-IT
Michelle Malkin - Attention Readers: Help Support the Troops (scroll down)
Blackanthem Military News - 'Angels' Provide Wounded Troops with Laptops
Pundit Review Radio (5/29/06) - Soldiers' Angels Patti Bader
BBC News (UK) - Laptop Lifeline for Wounded Troops
FOX News -
'Milblogs' Present Iraq War From Military Point of View
Pundit Review Radio (5/15/06) - Soldiers' Angels Patti Bader
National Post (Canada) - Time to give back?
Spokane Spokesman-Review - Standing at Attention for Military Blogs
Clinton W. Taylor - Giving Yale the Finger
MSNBC - TV Interview with Carren Ziegenfuss
Cox & Forkum - Project Valour-IT (editorial cartoon)
Day by Day - Project Valour-IT (editorial cartoon)
Hugh Hewitt - Laptops for Wounded Heroes

This is not a complete list of media/blog coverage. Many more articles and blog posts can be found via any Internet search engine.

Fundraising and Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

One of the unintended--but welcome--consequences of having a fundraising competition that ends on Veterans Day is that the dust starts settling right around Thanksgiving. And so each year we come to Thanksgiving with a full heart for all that has happened in recent weeks.

This year is no different.

For a number of reasons, this year's fundraiser seemed a bit of a hard slog. But yet, so many people stuck with it and helped us turn the corner into a result far better than what it seemed should be expected after that first week.

Big thanks go first of all to the Team Leaders, who spent time and blog space to highlight Valour-IT. Mrs. Greyhawk put in tremendous effort as Air Force Team Leader, doing a superb job of keeping her team informed and motivated. At Blackfive.net (home of Team Army), Blackfive, Jimbo and Laughing Wolf all blogged Valour-IT, sending their tremendous traffic Valour-IT's way. Behind the scenes, Navy/USCG Team Leader Xformed was working his butt off--strategizing, planning, creating an impressive bulletin board, and talking up both friends and strangers. Holly not only dealt with tremendous technical snafus, but did a great job of keeping the Marines Team focused and accomplishing impressive things. Thank you all so much for your time, attention, and hard work.

But besides the team leaders, a number of less-noticed bloggers were pouring their hearts into Valour-IT. Instapinch drew the hefty notice of National Review. Flag Gazer worked tirelessly in her successful recruitment of fellow bloggers, and was kind of enough to also spend time helping patrol the blog lists to make sure there were no "joke" registrations, while spreading the word about the new widgets. I don't know what I would've done without her! And Lemonstand recruited and coordinated auctions for a number of famous authors who donated their works to Valour-IT, single-handedly bringing in nearly $700 and spreading word of Valour-IT far beyond the milblogs. Laughing Wolf set the standard for sacrifice when he put up unique and unbelievable items for auction.

The auction itself was tremendous. I don't have exact numbers, but it raised at least $6,000 for Valour-IT! Thank you so much to all of you who donated your treasures, your time, and your creations to Valour-IT's auction. You made it a tremendous success!

As is usual, all the blogging, auctions and hoopla about Valour-IT that come with the fundraiser helped draw more attention to it, a self-perpetuating cycle: Hugh Hewitt and Andrea Shea-King repeatedly turned their megaphones to the subject of Valour-IT, big bloggers trumpeted the Valour-IT story, and Mary Katherine Ham and Noah Shachtman each wrote a wonderful column on Valour-IT. Among the smaller bloggers, I read so many excellent posts about Valour-IT that I completely lost track of them as I desperately wished I had time to do my own blogging so that I could try to bring their powerful creations more attention.

It was an amazing couple of weeks. Thank you so much for jumping in and helping us keep on helping the wounded. You are all angels of the first order, and you will always have my gratitude.

In fact, the Valour-IT Veterans Day fundriser has gotten so big it was impossible for me to personally keep track of everyone blogging it and all the people who have joined the cause this time around. Words are never enough, but may it suffice to say that you all are my heroes for the power you bring to bear on this, your never-say-die spirit, and your willingness to do whatever you can to make sure every wounded soldier who needs an laptop gets one.

And the great thing is that this is a cycle of gratitude. Valour-IT is grateful for your efforts today, but in coming weeks and months, wounded warriors will be thanking us for a laptop, a gift enabled by efforts that spring from your gratitude for the efforts and sacrifices of the wounded. And so it goes, 'round and 'round... so much for all of us to be thankful for!

May you be blessed at Thanksgiving and all days.

Final Fundraising Totals

2007-11-22T06:56:00.000-08:00

The standings remained unchanged from the preliminary totals, with Team Army taking the prize this year (more about that, later). But most importantly, our final totals are very good:

$192,193.02!
At the current cost of the laptops we're purchasing, that means we have enough to supply roughly 320 more wounded warfighters with the means to communicate, operate more independently, and expand their worlds beyond hospital walls. That is about three companies' worth of wounded soldiers whose lives will be improved by the efforts of the thousands of bloggers/supporters and donors who helped out Valour-IT this year! It won't get us through the coming year, but it should bridge the gap until early Spring, when Soldiers' Angels Foundation can again guarantee us a monthly budget.

You are all amazing for your generosity of time and funds, as well as your spirit that is not afraid to acknowledge the reality of those who have stood in your place. I extend my gratitude to all of you on behalf of the Valour-IT team, but know that the wounded warfighters we ultimately serve are going to be even more grateful; they may not know exactly who to thank, but they will know that the laptop at their bedside is a powerful and enabling expression of love and gratitude from the American people.

Congratulations on a job well-done!

2007 Fundraising Competion: Final Totals*
	Army:	$53,861.11
	Marines	$40,348.00
	Air Force*:	$32,452.34
	Navy/USCG	$21,696.75
	Non-team	$32,949.82

	Total:	$192,193.02

*As always, all funds ultimately go to the same account. The division among teams is for the purposes of friendly competition.

The BoBs

2007-11-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

Friends, visitors from around the world are dropping in on our humble abode.

Why? We seem to have won an award. A "BoB." Unbeknownst to me until very recently, we were nominated for "Best English Blog" in an international blogging competition sponsored by German news agency Deutsche Welle. Winners were determined by a jury of international bloggers, journalists, and media experts.

I am honored that this humble place was apparently viewed as significant and noteworthy by the jury. The email I received included the following from a representative of Deustche Welle:

I am thrilled to tell you that your blog has won this year's Best Weblog - English at the 2007 Deutsche Welle International Weblog Awards.

The international jury of bloggers and media experts selected your blog for your inovative use of the platform to raise money and awareness for your project. [formatting added]

To say I am surprised would be an understatement. I had no idea we were being innovative when we created this place. We simply saw it as a solution to our need for a flexible Internet presence for Valour-IT that would help us interact better with the bloggers who form the core of our support.

I started blogging at my own place just days before the idea for Valour-IT was conceived, and I soon found that Valour-IT was taking over my personal blog. So, we created this. It's is a place to post the latest news, coordinate the yearly online fundraisers, and distribute stories of laptop recipients. It was just a "working blog," a behind-the-scenes analog to our public face at the official website. And now we've won an international award...

Two and a half years ago as Valour-IT started to take off, I felt like I was riding a tiger. I still do.

My humble thanks to the person who nominated us and the members of the jury who decided we were worth a look. "Innovative," huh? Wow.

*******************

Other winners who caught my eye (as described by the BoB site):

Best Blog - Foto-mania -: A self-ironic account of a talented woman from Belarus who publishes this excellent blog with photos and text.

Best Video Blog - Alive in Baghdad: a weekly videoblog produced by a team of American and Iraqi correspondents on the ground in Iraq.

Reporters Without Borders Award - Jotman:
A proficient blogger who made a name for himself covering the 2006 Coup in Thailand and more recently the protests against the military junta in Burma.

Best Weblog (Persian) - 35 Grad: takes its name from the 35th parallel on which the city of Tehran stands. Some of the topics that the author confronts are the many taboos present in Iranian society including HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and sex education.

Best Weblog (Russian) - /dev/karlson/mind.log: published by a Russian who lives in Japan. Here you can find a lot of interesting information, exciting observations and original comparisons between the two cultures.

Best Weblog (German) Behindertenparkplatz: A journalist in a wheelchair reports about international travel, her work and the difficulties she faces on a daily basis. The blog also documents her attempts to expose and combat the stereotypes and descrimination faced by people in wheelchairs.

Best Weblog (Spanish) - A mis 95: With the help of her grandson, this 95-year-old grandmother writes about her long life and tries to break communication barriers that exists between generations.

Chuck Tells Us Why

2007-11-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, the inspiration for Project Valour-IT, tells us why a laptop matters so much:

“Not only could I not get out of my bed to walk down there [to the hospital's computer], but my hands were all blown up,” he said. “I only had really one finger on each hand that I could use, and one of those was in a cast…I was really incapable of communicating.”

...Something as simple as a wireless connection to the world beyond an IV drip and stainless steel bedrails, something as small as the ability to move freely around the Internet when moving freely beyond his room had become an impossibility, was enough to change Ziegenfuss’ outlook during a very bleak time.

Thank you, Mary Katherine Ham, for an insightful and powerful profile of Chuck and Valour-IT.

You'll want to read it all.

Preliminary Totals and Team Standings

2007-11-13T19:29:00.001-08:00

This hasn't been the easiest fundraiser Valour-IT has had, but the preliminary numbers are very encouraging.

We're still awaiting check totals, but here is what we have so far.... As of midnight Pacific Time, these were the standings...

Army: $53,023.00*
Marines: $39,673.00
Air Force: $25,638.34
Navy/CG: $20,081.75

Adding in the $29,954.82 in non-team donations--processed through Valour-IT's regular donation page--swells the preliminary total to $168,370.91!!

As the totals lagged this year, I scaled back my hopes to at least break $100,000. But it sounds like I was too low by half--last year we raised nearly $30,000 dollars in donations by check, so with similar results this year we can hope to break $200,000.

I'll have more "thank yous" in coming days, but let me say now that I am so impressed with and grateful for all who had a hand in this year's fundraiser; we faced tremendous challenges this time around, but the results are gearing up to be far better than we could have hoped after the first week. Kudos and grazie to you all!

*The reason for discrepancies between the the team totals here and those appearing on the teams page Monday night is that donations were apparently still coming in from the"old" widgets, but due to more pressing technical concerns had not been manually added to the totals until now (these totals are based entirely on data from PayPal; check data will be added ASAP). It is interesting to note that the number of donors coming through Team Army exceeded that of any other team by almost 2-1.

Also, buttons will remain active for a few days because of the earlier technical problems (including a down server yesterday), and because we got a great deal of publicity in the final hours. However, for the purposes of the competition, the official online donation totals will remain as they are above (checks will be included soon).

Laptops Save Lives?!

2007-11-10T13:12:00.001-08:00

That's what Chuck Z says, and he would know. As Noah Shachtman of Wired puts it,

Suddenly, he [Chuck] was able to connect to the outside world. He was able to take up his blog again, too. And from that, he was able to muster the self-esteem and internal strength to begin his recovery.

From the reports of family and friends of a triple amputee:

The laptop was the first step to the road to recovery. It proved that he was going to be able to do all the things that he did before.

From the CO of a wounded soldier:

He expressed to me today in an email how much that [laptop] helped him. So thank you. Very much. For taking care of my Soldiers when I no longer could.

From a laptop recipient:

I can't begin to tell how much [the laptop] has changed my stay at WRAMC; I am able to correspond with my Soldiers, and my family. My Soldiers are still down range in Iraq. They are coming home soon, and I look forward to being back at my post to receive them. Again, thank you so much.

From the mother of a wounded soldier:

Buzz reports having the laptop has made staying at the hospital more tolerable. It turns out that the laptop is also becoming an important factor in his treatment because besides using it to stay in contact with friends and loved ones while he's hospitalized, he and his wife are using it to gather information on the latest research about spinal cord injuries.

From Chuck Z himself:

It was the first time I felt whole since I’d woken up wounded in Landstuhl.

As Veterans Day approaches, you can "support the troops" in a powerful and life-changing way. As Chuck says, "I can't wait to give that feeling to another wounded soldier." Please help him do that. Donate here.

Gift for Donors

2007-11-08T05:49:00.000-08:00

Beginning today, Soldiers' Angels is offering the following gift to donors who give more than $25 to Valour-IT through the team competition. Donors must use a team button to receive a coin.

This military-style challenge coin is available marked for each of the team service branches (Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine). Donors will automatically receive the coin appropriate to their team donation.

On Politics

2007-11-05T19:58:00.001-08:00

Valour-IT is grateful for ALL our donors and supportive bloggers, who come from all levels of fame, walks of life, and political backgrounds.

Valour-IT was conceived and founded by a soldier and a teacher, members of two professions that require service to all citizens, regardless of political affiliation. It was an easy step to conceive of Valour-IT as apolitical, which is our highest ideal. Others may find that endorsing or attacking Valour-IT serves their political needs, but we believe that reflects any negativity on them, not on us.

Valour-IT is apolitical--focused on consequences of political actions (the wounded), not the action itself. We leave the latter to others because doing so allows us greater effectiveness in meeting the needs of the wounded--for example, access to military medical facilities, etc.

We do not ask the political/philosophical affiliations of our donors/supporters or the soldiers we serve; frankly, that's irrelevant to our goal of easing the mental and physical suffering of the wounded. Nor do we concern ourselves with other organizations'/bloggers' politics unless they are saying we endorse those politics (we do not, under any circumstances).

Even asking supporters to moderate their rhetoric is a dicey proposition, as such requests almost invariably end up in political debates about the accuracy of the rhetoric or requests to condemn the other side for some purportedly outrageous statement... and Valour-IT is soon no longer apolitical.

Among our blogging supporters, we count a very high percentage of conservatives. That is not by design, but happenstance--our earliest and strongest contacts in the blog world happened to be conservative. In years past we have actively reached out to the liberal-minded blogs, but met with only limited success. This year we have been excited to see the support of more liberal bloggers, and hope the trend continues.

Three Friends Challenge

2007-11-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

Ry, "denizen" of Arrgghhh, has a wonderful idea:

Well, since people are so big on challenges and what not I think I’d like to jump in with one too. Does anyone remember the old commercial that ended with ‘and they told three friends, and they told three friends’ and the exponential progression on screen (3 photos becomes nine becomes 27 become 81 become 243...)? Well, that’s what I’m challenging to do. Get three friends to donate to VALOR-IT and charge them with getting three more. We want exponential growth here people! (Or is that technically geometric progression? I forgets me maths definitions.)

Look, I got my father-in-law to donate, and regular readers know that I (ry/Gollum) do not get along with the man well at all. Matter of fact, I’m certain he’d shoot me dead if he wasn’t a staunch Brady bill kinda-guy who can’t abide the thought of someone having a firearm. If I can do that you can guilt trip, badger, heckle, sing Henry the 8th I am I am, or whatever until they break down and donate too. It isn't about the war. It isn't about you and your political views (or ours for that matter). It's about the people and their lives. Period.

So, which three are you going to talk to about donating?

New Auction

2007-11-04T19:21:00.001-08:00

UPDATE: The main auction website continues to grow. Most-recently a number of autographed romance novels by famous writers (include a set of out-of-print first-editions) have been added. Keeping checking, as items are pouring in.

Two books are being offered on eBay instead of the Valour-IT auction site. Still, all proceeds will go to Valour-IT.

Up for auction on e, two autographed copies of Vince Flynn's Protect and Defend (one here, one here).

Like Him

2007-11-03T21:55:00.001-07:00

This is who we help.

If you didn't watch to the end, go back and make sure you catch that last line. J.R. is reclaiming his life, his identity. And yes, he was a Valour-IT recipient.

Help Valour-IT help another soldier take the first step to reconnecting and re-engaging.

More JR Posts:
J.R. Salzman at Home
Recovery of a Soldier-athlete
Background from Blackfive

Auctions

2007-11-02T07:11:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: There are now more items for auction than I can keep up with here, ranging from an autographed Heinlein book to handmade jewelry and NASA memorabilia. Check it out!

Auctions for the Valour-IT fundraiser are heating up. Here's the list of items as of this morning (more are on the way):

Team Air Force is taking the lead here, with a Chris Muir original, a John Cox caricature, three autographed books by Richard S. Lowry, a very special book not yet available to the public--Small Unit Actions, several items of Thunderbird memorabilia. They also have a Perfect Pushups workout kit and a prize-winning baby blanket.

Team Marine Corps is offering an out-of-print book about the B-17.

Team Navy-USCG has a high-quality, rare model of an F/A-18C aircraft.

Team Army offers a Napoleon Bonaparte letter opener.

And there is one very special item that I want to highlight: an extraordinary quilt [click to enlarge].

This quilt was designed and sewn by a former member of the Air Force, now a National Guard spouse. Echoing a missing man formation (the "missing" member is actually quilted in a ghostly gray), it is entitled "Gone But Not Forgotten."

She writes:

Gone, But Not Forgotten is a 54"x59" wall hanging/lap quilt. I have had several requests to script the title on the quilt as shown along with names of a few fallen members and will honor this request for the winner if they so choose. Although not strictly a missing man formation, it is meant to show the missing are not forgotten and although the quilting is not easy to see in the picture, there is a Bald Eagle quilted in the missing spot along with contrails from all the Bald Eagles.

You can build on this beautiful quilt here.

And if you have an item of your own you'd like to put up for auction to benefit Valour-IT, you can click here and sign up.

Valour-IT on the Radio

2007-10-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Valour-IT and the fundraiser are going to be the subject of two different radio shows tomorrow today (Wednesday):

Patti Bader will be talking about it live on Blog Talk Radio at 0930 Eastern.

Air Force Team Leader Mrs. Greyhawk and FbL will be talking about it on the Andrea Shea-King radio show at 2100 Eastern. Mrs. Greyhawk will also be talking about her recent meeting with the President. [click show links to listen online].

2007 Valour-IT Fundraising Competition

2007-10-28T23:34:00.000-07:00

Valour-IT has had a great year of fundraising, but the needs of the wounded continue, and our coffers are empty.

Just in time, because the 2007 Valour-IT Veterans Day Fundraising Competition begins on Monday, October 29. Last year a merry band of milbloggers and friends raised over $230,000 dollars. This year, need among the wounded hasn't changed, with as many as 100 laptops going out each month. But every year, the amazing bloggers who participated have exceeded Valour-IT's wildest hopes. Let's do it again!

Here's the who, what, where, when, why and how of the competition:

Who: Bloggers of any and all stripes who support the U.S. Military
What: Raising $240,000 ($60,000/team) for Project Valour-IT,
Where: Starting on the blogs, then spreading through your community and into major media
When: Monday, 29 October through Saturday, 11 November (Veterans Day)
Why: Because reconnecting the wounded with the world is a vital part of their recovery
How: Signing up for your favorite military branch, blogging, auctioning, emailing, and spreading the news

For more info, see the important competition websites listed below.

Team Leaders: Blackfive - Army, Chaotic Synaptic Activity - Navy/Coast Guard, Mudville Gazette - Air Force, SA Holly Aho - Marine Corps

Official Website: history and background on Valour-IT, official donation info
Bulletin Board: general competition info, tech help, team planning, announcements, etc.
Auction Site: donated items for sale
Project Blog: background, interesting links, daily donation tracking, public relations

So, what're ya waitin' for?! Need inspiration? Poke around here, check the "Selected Valour-IT Posts" in the sidebar of Fuzzilicious Thinking or click on the "Valour-IT" category on Fuzzilicious.

Let's make this happen! There are wounded men and women out there who need us, and to whom we owe so much.

Planning for 2007 Veterans Day Fundraiser

2007-10-08T14:31:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Contest dates published below have been corrected.

We are in the early planning stages of our 2007 Veterans Day Fundraiser. Begun in 2005, this has become a yearly event in support of Soldiers' Angels Project Valour-IT. Here are the outlines for this year:

Duration: Monday, October 28 29 through Veterans’ Day, November 13 11.

Method: Bloggers team up by service branch, have friendly competition to reach the fundraising goal first, and spread the word offline through community contacts, etc.

Goal: $240,000 (total of $5,000 more than last year's event)

Planning sites: Right here, and on the new bulletin board (thanks, Xformed!)

How you can help:

Design a Flier

Find items to auction

Plan people/businesses/organizations to contact

Check for employer matching donations

Give a heads up to your press/political connections

Share your ideas

bulletin board

IMPORTANT NOTE: Valour-IT is an IRS-certified non-profit (donations are tax-deductible) and is non-political. Regardless of ideas about how/why war is being waged, the fact is that people are wounded and need our help. Valour-IT is about supplying that help, not about endorsing or opposing the reasons why it's needed.

[cross-posted at Castle Argghhh!, The Flight Deck and Fuzzilicious Thinking]

More Grants

2007-08-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

This time Valour-IT drew the attention of the Newman's Own Foundation, resulting in two $5,000 grants at their yearly awards ceremony. One grant will go to Valour-IT at large, while the other is focused on Valour-IT's activities at Brooke Army Medical Center.

Soldiers' Angels Wounded Director Lynette was on-hand at the Pentagon to receive the grants and the appreciation of the dignitaries who made the announcement.

Left to right: Gen. Peter Pace, Lynette,
and Tom Indoe, president of Newman's Own.*

*Thanks to Lynette for the photo (edited)

MEGEN on the Road Again

2007-08-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Steeljaw Scribe is the latest to take MEGEN on a trip, this time with help from Chaotic Synaptic Activity, and complete with an aviation-related mystery.

More of MEGEN's exploits here.

Big News

2007-08-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

[IMPORTANT UPDATE BELOW]

Last weekend was the 2007 Soldiers' Angels Conference, and the highlight of the event for Angels was a party at the Brooke Army Medical Center's (BAMC's) Fisher Houses in which 78 Valour-IT laptops were distributed to wounded Soldiers and Marines. This brings Valour-IT's total laptop distributions to over 1200 in two years, and an additional 22 laptops are on standby at BAMC.

Valour-IT was able to distribute the 78 laptops at once thanks to a $150,000 grant [warning, PDF file] from the San Antonio Area Foundation (SAAF), which is by far the largest donation Valour-IT has ever received. The money must be used exclusively in Texas, but that will free up other donations to be applied to locations around the country. SAAF has five million dollars to distribute and this was the first round of grants. Valour-IT received the largest grant of this round (about $80,000 of the grant remains at this time).

In related news, Best Buy as been working with Valour-IT for some time now, helping us to stretch our donated bucks. They negotiate with their major suppliers to get the best dealer incentives and bulk rates available at any given time and pass that savings directly on to us. This has enabled Valour-IT to distribute relatively high-end laptops to deserving veterans for under $600 each. So, representatives from Circuit City were on-hand at the party to coordinate distribution, and even set up decorations beforehand.

It was quite an impressive sight to see so many laptop boxes stacked up together, and so very gratifying to watch wounded soldiers pulling up in their wheelchairs with smiles on their faces and computer boxes in their laps. At BAMC, Valour-IT is blessed to work hand-in-glove with hospital caseworkers who identify a patient's need for a laptop and refer the info to us. This means that patients are less likely to "fall through the cracks," and are usually quickly identified if they are in need. In fact, the caseworkers themselves distributed the laptops.

The party was also an impressive demonstration of San Antonio citizens' support for their local military personnel. Hundreds of wounded warriors and family members enjoyed food from a caterer who donated all edibles and services, a country music band who had things rocking, beautiful Mariachis, a local rap group, and even a balloon figurine artist. The Soldiers' Angels in attendance distributed giftcards, phonecards, and SA coins while they spent time getting to know everyone, and a good time seemed to be had by all.

On a personal note, it was so gratifying to see how well Valour-IT is working at BAMC. Not all medical facilities are as supportive of or integrated into Valour-IT's efforts, so it's nice to know that's not an issue at BAMC.

UPDATE: I have been extremely remiss in not giving credit where credit is due. Valour-IT has begun to blossom since last November's fundraiser, due to the efforts of a number of wonderful people. After November, Soldiers' Angels leadership stepped up to give Valour-IT their strongest-possible financial and administrative backing. Lynette Frascella (SA's Director of Wounded Support) and LTC(ret) Jim Riley (SA's Medical and Wounded Liasion and Valour-IT's logistics leader) make Valour-IT happen on a daily basis. Jim is also the man responsible for Circuit City's support and our seamless integration at BAMC. Additionally, SA's new Grants Team secured the $150,000 grant. These people are all responsible for Valour-IT having moved from a shoestring operation to something with lasting power and the ability to begin to meet the continuing need in this arena. They deserve BIGTIME kudos.

[Cross-posted at Fuzzilicious Thinking; photos from the event here]

$150,000 Grant!

2007-08-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

The powerful benefits of Project Valour-IT have been noticed outside the military world. It is now the recipient of a $150,000 grant from the San Antonio Area Foundation!

The money must be used exclusively in Texas, but that will free up donations to be used in the rest of the country. More later.

MEGEN

2007-07-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

One of the many things I have neglected as a blogger these last two months was telling you about MEGEN, aka "Most Exalted Golden Laptop."

To mark Team Navy's win in Valour-IT's 2006 Veterans Day fundraiser, a presentation was made at the 2007 MilBlog Conference:

[more here]

And being the creative types Team Navy showed themselves to be last fall, they came up with a smart and wacky idea to raise awareness of Valour-IT: MEGEN on tour. Most recently MEGEN has been visiting Naval Station Norfolk accompanied by Pinch, and he has some great documentation and commentary. Here's a taste:

The F-18 C Hornet. Megen is sitting on one of the starboard multiple-ejector-racks with mk-82 bombs loaded (inert, of course!). This is obviously an old aircraft. A more up-to-date aircraft display would have, in place of bombs, the air-to-air refueling package loaded up since that seems to be the primary mission these days [full-size pic]

Pinch takes MEGEN and the rest of us on a nice tour of Norfolk, full of plane and ship "pr0n," and a teasing "where is MEGEN?" pic. Check it out!

And the rest of you Navy types... when will be seeing MEGEN in your area?

Walter Reed and the 1,000th Laptop

2007-06-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

[Soldiers' Angels was a sponsor of the 2007 Milblog Conference in Arlington, VA. Coincidentally, Valour-IT was about to give out its 1,000th laptop, so Chuck Ziegenefuss and a number of angels gathered at Walter Reed the day after the conference to celebrate the occasion. Following is a portion of my report of the event, a cross-post from my personal blog.]

People who visit major military hospitals like Walter Reed often talk about how inspiring it is. It is, but it's not all inspiring. It's real and it's painful and joyous, hopeful and hopeless, and discouraging and inspiring... all at once. And every bit of that was on display the day Soldiers' Angels brought the 1,000th laptop.

Many angels brought small gifts with them: individually-wrapped cigars, SA pins, blankets, chocolates and more. They quickly spread out, shaking hands and sharing the gifts with the cross-section of wounded there--some looked perfectly "normal" because their wounds were hidden, while others walked slowly with a cane as if they were old men or sat in wheelchairs. One was blind and had to be led around. Their expressions and demeanor varied, but most seemed to at least be cautiously enjoying themselves.

The catered BBQ for everyone was absolutely wonderful and surely a welcome change from institutional food. Well fed and fellowshipped, everyone was eventually called to gather around one of the benches lining the fish pond outside Mologne House. LTC(ret) Riley, who runs procurement/logistics for Valour-IT, announced that we would be giving out the 1,000th laptop and then turned things over to me after a brief comment from Patti Bader.

Standing on a bench (which made me just about as tall as most of the soldiers gathered around, haha!), I had my first-ever chance to address a large group of warfighters whose sacrificial service protected me. However, I refused to think along those lines for fear of emotional overload. Half hoarse from having been sick the week before and from lack of sleep, I told them the following, shouting as loudly as I could:

Valour-IT stands for Voice-Activated Laptops for Our Injured Troops. It was inspired by a soldier, Captain (now Major) Chuck Ziegenfuss, who two years ago was exactly where you are today and who remains in the Army--he was a tank company commander whose hands were severely damaged by an IED. He had been writing a blog during his deployment and used his two functional fingers to ask for help getting voice-to-text software after he was wounded. The response was huge and we realized there was both a need and a desire to fill that need. We've now given out nearly 1,000 laptops in the last 20 months.

This program did not develop because a big donor dropped a lot of money that made all this possible. Rather, it came from individual donations of thousands and thousands of people--from literally five dollars to 5,000, adding up to over a million dollars in twenty months... all because they love and appreciate you and want to help you during this difficult time. They want to make sure that if you have injuries that prevent you from using a keyboard, you can still stay connected to your deployed buddies and the family members who couldn't come here to be with you, so you can use the computer just like anyone else does. And if you will be transitioning out, we want to be sure you have the opportunity to take classes and develop the skills that you will need to be successful in your new career.

So each laptop is more than just a computer. It's a physical representation of the incredible amounts of love, support and gratitude people have for all you have done. Please remember that whenever you see it. Thank you for everything.

And then Chuck stood up to address them himself...

[Much of the following is paraphrased.]

I like standing here talking to you; there's nothing I like more than talking to soldiers... feels like old times when I was driving a tank instead of a desk.

And then he held up his mangled hands with their nine remaining fingers.

I didn't plan to be here. Getting my ass blown up in Iraq was not part of my 20 year plan for my Army career. I wasn't supposed to have 35 surgeries with more to come, I wasn't supposed to lose a finger, have two thumbs that don't work and a hand I can't feel--plus the nasty scars on my legs, butt and back from the burns and skin grafts.

But I did. It happened, and I can't change that. But I can change the future, I can determine what happens next.

I know what it's like to be here, how hard it is, how much this all sucks.... the pain, the drugs they hook you on and the haziness it all causes... I know about the bureaucrats and the stupid regulations and the med boards and the doctors that don't listen to you. It seems it'll never end. But I'm here to tell you, this is not permanent. It's temporary. This is your present, but it's not your future.

I could feel the crowd start to warm to him.

You have to have an attitude that refuses to be eaten up by this place. Changing your perspective changes your ability to deal with this. Losing the use of your hands, or losing a leg or any other body part forces you to realize that you are more than your parts, that it's your mind that ultimately determines your future. You may get your arm amputated, but what makes you you is still there in your mind.

And besides, we have to look at the bright side! I mean, I get 10% off on all glove purchases, now.

He held up his hands again, and there was nervous laughter. A sergeant in a wheelchair because he had only one leg piped up, "Yeah, and I get 50% off on my shoes!" The laughter increased as others mentioned the "benefits" of amputation and injury. Chuck continued in the style of black humor welcome among those who have been wounded. I could feel the magic in the air and wished desperately I had brought the video recorder I'd been awarded Friday night. He was in his element, and the audience was eating it up.

Chuck likes to play the tough guy and he doesn't write much on his blog about the psychological aspects of his recovery. But he talked about them that day. Using himself as an example, he practically begged the assembled soldiers to hope, to see beyond their current situation and believe they would recover. He tried to will them into their future, into fighting for their recoveries.

Nothing has really changed for you--you still are who you were on the inside; it's just the packaging that is damaged. It took me awhile to understand that, but it doesn't have to take so long for you. It will be the hardest fight of your life, but the essence of who you are can still fight. Your body is just the bag that holds that essence. So do that ****ing painful PT, fight to get off the dope as soon as you can, don't let the bastards win. There are people here and in places like Soldiers' Angels who can help you. You didn't choose this present, but you get to choose whether it wins.

[Coming Up: the 1,000th laptop recipient]

Valour-IT Gets Noticed

2007-05-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the 2007 Milblog Conference, Valour-IT received significant attention from business, Congress, and the military itself.

It started at the Conference reception, when USAA donated $1000 in the name of each Milbloggie winner ($8,000 total).

The next day, it was Congress' turn.

Blogger John Donovan has been instrumental in getting Valour-IT off the ground, both behind-the-scenes and as our entre into the milblog world. Recently he has developed a relationship with his congressional representative, who happens to sit on the House Armed Services Committee. When he told her about Valour-IT, she was very impressed. This is the result:

The certificate reads, "This is to certify that this flag was flown over the United States Capitol on May 3, 2007, at the request of the Honorable Nancy E Boyda, Member of Congress. This flag was flown in honor of Soldiers' Angels and Valour-IT in recognition of their tremendous work."

And finally, we received the notice and appreciation of MG David Schoomaker, Commanding General of the North American Regional Medical Command, in the form of his challenge coin. Both Lynette (head of Soldiers' Angels Wounded Team) and I had the honor of meeting him and later receiving the coin from the impressive Command Sergeant-Major:

As only one of the many people involved in Valour-IT, these awards and appreciation were humbling for me to receive, a reminder of how proud I am to know all the amazing people who have made it happen. These honors are a testimony to the hard work, generosity and creativity so many people have brought to this project, resulting in the delivery of over 1,000 laptops to severely wounded soldiers so far. Congrats to all who have made Proejct Valour-IT more than just a crazy dream!

1,000

2007-05-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

I'm on my way back from the MilBlog Conference, and haven't yet had time to write about this, but yesterday we delivered our 1,000th laptop (it was given to a patient at Walter Reed). Major Ziegenfuss was there to present it himself, and gave an inspiring talk to the other wounded who assembled there. I will give a full report ASAP.

New Website Address for Valou-IT

2007-03-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

The home of Soldiers' Angels and Valour-IT has had an "extreme makeover" thanks to Holy Aho.

Go check it out. It's a beaut!

One little (but important) wrinkle: The address for Valour-IT's section of the website has changed. We're going to try to make it automatically forward from the old website address, but for the moment, here's where you can see the new Valour-IT section:

http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=project-valour-it

If you have a blog with Valour-IT linked on the sidebar, please make sure it has the new link. Thanks!

Reach

2007-01-29T20:15:00.000-08:00

On a lark today, I Googled "Valour-IT" and came up with an amazing stat--check out the total results. To think that it all started with a handful of bloggers 18 months ago...

Thanks for making it happen.

Potential

2007-01-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

I recently received a very interesting note via my Valour-IT email account...

"I have read several, highly complimentary writings/reviews on what you guys are doing" (PBS, perhaps?).

It was from somebody with intimate connections to a foundation that would like to make a "significant donation." He also reports that he "most definitely" knows of "more financiers out there who would gladly make sizable contributions."

I'll be talking to him on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed, people. We may be able to set up that endowment after all...

More MediaShift

2007-01-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

PBS blog MediaShift by Mark Glaser has a superb profile of Valour-IT and the people involved in making it happen. Here's a sample:

Valour-IT is another result of average folks banding together online to make a difference, getting beyond petty politics and government bureacracy to get something done and do it right. It’s one of those classic holiday stories of people giving of their time, their money and even the bully-pulpit space of their blogs to help others in need.

The rest of this excellent article is here.

Donate for Free

2007-01-16T05:29:00.000-08:00

You can donate $3,000 to Valour-IT without giving up a cent.

As part of its marketing campaign, a new website is having people vote for their favorite milblogger. Any milblogger who finishes in the "Top 10" of voting will receive $250.... but the winner will receive $3,000!

Now, here's how you make sure that $3,000 gets to Valour-IT: go to the site and vote for Blackfive! He's promised to donate all $3,000 to Valour-IT if he wins. So, your vote (which is free) could be really worth $3,000 to Valour-IT--that means just about six more laptops for the wounded.

Anybody can vote. In other words, share the link with family and friends and let's see if we can push Blackfive over the top.!

So... Go, vote!

Bryan Anderson and Valour-IT

2006-12-29T09:22:00.000-08:00

SGT Bryan Anderson, early Valour-IT Laptop recipient.

It was the last day of Valour-IT's first Veterans Day (2005) fundraiser, when I was still stunned by its success and thrilled Valour-IT was now a viable project. Amid that emotion, arrived an email requesting a laptop for Bryan, then just two weeks into his recovery. I shared it anonymously here: "If I have to think enough to comment on it, I will end up on the floor in a puddle of tears, and I don't have time to cry today," I wrote. The email read:

...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...

Less than four months later, in February 2006, Bryan was walking. The same correspondent shared:

B came in town for a benefit dinner to help raise funds for his family. He walked into the room with his prosthetic legs, he was smiling and overwhelmed at the support he and his family received. No one was aware that B was going to be there. I do not think there was a dry eye in the room. He still has therapy but his spirit is strong. He has an amazing support group of family and friends.

The laptop was the first step to the road to recovery. It proved that he was going to be able to do all the things that he did before.

I was once again overwhelmed.

And today, out of the blue, I found him on the cover of Esquire. As my correspondent predicted, he did do all the things he'd done before... and so much more:

I've been wakeboarding, water-skiing, jet-skiing, tubing, rock climbing, snow skiing, playing catch with my brother. I try to do the same things. I'm not going to let it stop me. We did a 110-mile bike ride from Gettysburg to Washington, D. C. Sixty miles the first day, fifty miles the second day. Hand cycle, three wheels. I ended up ripping the glove, breaking the hand, breaking the whole socket. I might do it a little differently, but I'm still going to do it...

He knows who he is:

This doesn't define me. It may be how I look on the outside, but it's not who I am. I guess you could remember me easily as being a triple amputee, but it's not who I am, has nothing to do with who I am. I've always been the same person...

His spirit is indomitable:

You have two options once this happens: Roll over and die or move on. I chose to move on. I'm still me. I'm just 75 percent off. Get a deal on Bryan Andersons this week. You know who actually told me that the first time? My mom. We were in Vegas, talking about T-shirts we should make, and she said "75 percent off." She said, "You should get a shirt showing off your personality."

I keep thinking back to that line: "The laptop was the first step to the road to recovery." I'm stunned, I'm touched, I'm humbled, I'm... I don't have words for what I am feeling. I don't think the right ones exist in the English language...

These are the kinds of people donations to Valour-IT are helping. Just... wow.

More Recipients

2006-12-26T17:36:00.000-08:00

Chuck Ziegenfuss, whose wounds inspired Valour-IT, was back prowling the halls of Walter Reed a week ago in preparation for yet another surgery. Each time he goes back, he literally searches the wards for people who need Valour-IT.

This time he found three amazing men in Ward 57 who have given him permission to share their stories. Here's one:

Bruce...was pretty excited about the Valour-IT laptops, and really excited about this post and picture, because as he put it: “I hope the enemy does read your blog. They’ll see me and it’ll be a great big “Up yours! You missed, you failed, I’m still here!”

Wounded, bedridden, and still trying to take the fight to the enemy.

Chuck also has the stories of a generous medic named Stephen , and a courageous lieutenant being tended by his brother. All are going to need Valour-IT laptops.

You can read their stories here.

More Valour-IT in Action

2006-12-07T15:11:00.000-08:00

Soldiers' Angels/Valour-IT has recently received more thank you notes from laptop recipients. First, from a female soldier (somewhat of a rarity among the wounded we serve):

To Soldiers' Angels,

I wanted to express my gratitude for the computer I was given by all of you. Words cannot convey how very much this means to me. I have never had a laptop before, and being an E-4 I would not have been able to afford one for some time to come. All of you are Godsends. Thank you so much. I wish there was some way I could repay you for this. Thank you again.
Most Sincerely,
Specialist W
U.S.Army

And this, from another type of soldier who is somewhat rare among the lists of wounded:

Thank you for the computer donated that I picked up at [the hospital] today. Organizations like Soldiers' Angels that reach out to service members are never forgotten and are always in our hearts.

Our jobs as service members are just like anybody else's jobs. We are proud of what we do as servicemembers, but we never see the real reality of our jobs until we go to war. We never wanted to see the reality because if we are lucky we come back normal or the other.

My injuries during my deployment to Iraq, which consist of burns and other injuries, I have finally accepted. And with the generosity of your organization, it brings a lot of comfort to my recovery.

When I was in the burn ward I was probably the first senior-ranking person as a patient. When I was recovering with therapy with the other servicemembers, they thought I was one of the lower ranking personnel. When I told the servicemember I was a master sergeant, he was really surprised and shook my hand and said," Only lower-ranking people get hurt or killed!" He felt good that at least someone in a leadership position cares! His statement brings back to [mind] your organization, an organization that cares and reaches out. Thank you again, from myself and my family, and the servicemembers and their families.

MSG A

Just two more of the great people Valour-IT is helping, thanks to our wonderful donors and volunteers...

Valour-IT on MediaShift

2006-12-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

Mark Glaser, freelance writer and author of PBS blog MediaShift, has once again spotlighted Valour-IT. This time he has written an in-depth post. Here's how he introduces it, via email:

Hi all,
Just a note to let you know that my latest in-depth post just went up at PBS MediaShift, this time a look at Valour-IT, an ad hoc charity organization that has given out hundreds of laptops with voice-recognition software to injured soldiers. It started last year when Army Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss injured both his hands and wanted to get back to blogging. His blog readers pitched in for Dragon Naturally Speaking software, and he and another blogger, FbL, put together Valour-IT and have raised more than $330,000 with two online Veteran's Day fundraisers fueled by milbloggers.

Key quote:
"We made our goal [to raise] $24,000 for the 10 days leading up to Veteran's Day [in 2005]. To my utter shock, we raised $100,000. I thought, 'Holy cow, what did I get myself involved in?' The VA [Veterans Affairs] and Military Order of the Purple Heart heard about us and the Undersecretary of the VA invited us to come out to visit one of the trauma units and deliver the laptops there...This year, we raised almost $230,000 in the two weeks leading up to Veteran's Day. We've delivered almost 700 laptops now. I figured this time around, with more media connections, I decided to think big and shoot for $180,000 and we blew right through that to $230,000." -- FbL, co-founder of Valour-IT

It's a real old fashioned holiday story, refashioned for the new media age...

Enjoy,
Mark

Mark has a very interesting blog, and he did a wonderful job telling the whole story of Valour-IT in a post born of thorough research and multiple interviews. It's definitely among the best media coverage Valour-IT has received so far. Check it out at MediaShift.

[Cross-posted at Fuzzilicious Thinking]

Creative Fundraising

2006-11-30T16:32:00.000-08:00

I'm sure that until I saw this email, I never thought of weddings and Valour-IT in the same sentence:

I am in the PA Air National Guard and we would like to do a fund raiser for your organization during our December drill. Do you have any electronic copies of flyers or anything that we could use to inform people about Project Valour-IT? Anything you could send me would be appreciated.

Also, I am getting married in May and I would like to give a donation in the name of my guests as our wedding favor (we would give people a scroll telling them that we gave a donation in their name to Project Valour-IT). Would I just be able to send you my invitation list along with my donation?

Weddings are almost always all about fantasy and perfection and idealistic beauty. But this couple will be interjecting the reality of the wounded into their wedding. By placing Valour-IT and its mission in front of their guests, they will be embracing the reality of war, sacrifice, and our responsibilities to those who have served. They will be honoring and including the very people who have played a sacrificial role in their ability to have a peaceful and joyous celebration of their love and their future. This is a level of maturity and lack of self-reference that is inspiring, a genuine celebration of life.

Valour-IT in Action

2006-11-29T09:39:00.000-08:00

Soldiers' Angels (which runs Valour-IT) received the following email a couple of days ago. Here is the end result of Valour-IT's generous donors and hard-working volunteers (repeated nearly 700 times in the last 16 months):

Dear Soldiers Angels,

My name is ___________, and I am one of the wounded soldiers recovering at Brook Army Medical Center. Tonight me and my wife were honored to attend a dinner where I was presented with this New Laptop that I am using right now. So the first thing I wanted to do on this computer is to send you my deepest gratitude.

This is one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever gotten and I know that me and my family will benefit from this gift. I truly thank God for allowing me the opportunity to cross paths with such caring people. May God Bless you all for the wonderful service that you do for the soldiers and Happy Holidays to you all. Again, thank you very much for his blessing.

Sincerely,

[Grateful Soldier]

More Exposure!

2006-11-16T22:21:00.000-08:00

Valour-IT continues to draw press attention, this time from PBS blog MediaShift.

Mediashift is a blog devoted to to tracking:

...how digital media technologies and techniques such as weblogs, RSS, podcasting, citizen journalism, wikis, news aggregators and video repositories are changing our world.

Valour-IT's 2006 Veterans Day fundraiser is listed as #1 for the week on MediaShift's list of "Top 5 People, Trends, and Tech on Our Radar."

Valour-IT in USA Today!

2006-11-13T22:32:00.000-08:00

Well, the USA Today Tech_Space blog, at least...

Check it out!

Preliminary Totals

2006-11-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

Once again, you've left me nearly speechless.

At the end of the first week I feared I'd placed the bar too high, that I'd set everyone up for failure and thus taken all the fun out of it. But I should've known better... Military blogger or civilian blogger, you all have the can-do, never-say-die, warrior spirit.

Preliminary totals from the team portion of the competition (checks are still being counted):

1. $51,228.85 Marine Corps
2. $47,212.12 Navy
3. $46,395.00 Army
4. $39,823.10 Air Force

Congratulations to the sea-faring side of the teams! As is true in military manuevers, it's hard to separate the Navy and the Marines Corps. In this case, the Navy once again steamed across the finish line early, but then turned and offered a hand to bring their Marine Corps brothers with them. And those dear Jarheads, predictably doing more with less, catapulted themselve right past the Sailors!

And of course the Marines and Army followed Team Navy's fine example by turning donors toward the lower-total teams after they had reached their goals.

Well done, all! But there's more!!

In addition to donations made through the team buttons, Valour-IT received $19,437.00 in non-team, online donations inspired by people who spread the word about Valour-IT. Checks have yet to be counted, but this results in an online (non-check) total of:

$204,096.07!!!
I am once again stunned and without the right words to tell you how amazed and proud and inspired I am by what you have accomplished. Vendor prices are currently in flux, but your work will likely supply over 300 laptops to wounded warfighters. Just think of the radiating circles of impact you will have by raising the spirits, increasing the independence and supporting the recovery of over 300 severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines...

"Thank you" doesn't even scratch the surface. You are amazing.

*************************
Here's a further breakdown, for those who are interested:

Date	Donors	Non-Team	Teams	Totals
10-30-06	136	1090	10165.79	$11,255.79
10-31-06	377	2432	24030	$26,462.00
11-1-06	223	295	14131.81	$14,426.81
11-2-06	166	1000	12215	$13,215.00
11-3-06	47	225	3914	$4,139.00
11-4-06	226	1970	15765.5	$17,735.50
11-5-06	81	340	7110	$7,450.00
11-6-06	69	805	5438.67	$6,243.67
11-7-06	157	1350	24132	$25,482.00
11-8-06	35	1030	8461.07	$9,491.07
11-9-06	38	4465	4409.94	$8,874.94
11-10-06	242	1970	26757.99	$28,727.99
11-11-06	200	960	25071.3	$26,031.30
11-12-06	59	1130	2656	$3,786.00
11-13-06	9	375	400	$775.00
Totals:	2065	19437	184659.07	$204,096.07

More data analysis at Smadanek, who has become the unofficial Valour-IT Data Geek!

2006-11-13T06:19:00.000-08:00

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Hooray!!!

2006-11-12T06:37:00.001-08:00

WE DID IT!!!
As of yesterday evening the online team totals exceeded $180,000.

The final total will be much higher, as we haven't counted checks sent it and haven't included non-team online donations (my conservative estimate of the final total is $210,000).

The checks won't be counted until next week, but I will have preliminary totals from online donations and the auctions up this evening.

Congratulations to all the amazing people who made this happen! I'll be pointing out specific individuals in the coming week, but I just wanted to say that you all have stunned me again. Just amazing....

[Cross-posted at Fuzzilicious Thinking]

Sheep-shearing and Valour-IT

2006-11-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

What's the connection?

Click here and find out the amazing thing Sharon the sheep-shearer did for Valour-IT.

Fundraising Summary, Day 12

2006-11-11T00:12:00.000-08:00

As of 11:59 p.m. EST on 10 November 2006,

Team Totals:

$36,372.42 Army
$31,100.50 Air Force
$43,413.85 Marines
$45,795.00 Navy

Competition Totals: Over $172,680.00 from over 1621 donations*

*Includes donors who did not donate through a team, but does not include those who mailed checks

Fundraising Summary, Day 11

2006-11-10T17:31:00.002-08:00

As of 11:59 p.m. EST on 9 November 2006,

Team Totals: Combined teams raised $137,775.77.

Competition Totals: Over $152,777.77 from over 1555 donations*
*Includes donors who did not donate through a team, but does not include those who mailed checks

Congrats to Team Navy!

2006-11-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

Team Navy has roared in from the back of the pack to take a tremendous lead and cross the $45,000 goal line first. And in typical gracious fashion, they have invited their blog readers to donate to Team Marines to help their brothers cross the finish line next.

Way to go, Navy!!!

Homestretch

2006-11-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

Only two more days! As I write this, we've raised nearly $140,000. That doesn't include well over $10,000 in direct donations (not tabulated in team totals online) and the thousands and thousands of dollars in checks that were mailed in.

Beginning today and extending through at least Saturday, WTOP Radio in Washington, DC is broadcasting a news item about Valour-IT and the competitive fundraiser. We also got repeat links from some of the big bloggers today.

So, our $180,000 goal is eminently reachable. Now's the time to put the pedal to metal. Let's make it happen!

Fundraising Summary, Day 10

2006-11-09T17:31:00.000-08:00

Due to lack of consistent computer access, I haven't been able to give detailed daily totals. But here's some info you may find interesting...

As of 11:59 p.m. EST on 8 November 2006,

Team Totals: Combined teams raised $132,730.77.

Competition Totals: Over $143,267.77 from over 1517 donations*
*Includes donors who did not donate through a team, but does not include those who mailed checks

How it Helps

2006-11-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

This comes from "Cricket," a regular commenter at Villainous Company. Several years ago she was in a very serious car accident that resulted in massive injuries, including a broken arm that did not heal for a year:

...We can do no less than embrace them and help them to have a life. It is a small thing we do, but having been a bedridden grouch myself, and having needed a laptop with Dragon Naturally Speaking, I know how much this means to them.

It wasn't until two years ago that I was able to get more function in my left arm, and begin to type again, and that was a year after I was injured.

The first thing [my husband] did was get me a laptop with the software. I didn't feel so isolated, hurt or angry. And you will never know how much it meant to me to be able to travel beyond my four walls and the terrible pain.

I think that about covers it. Go donate and help more soldiers travel beyond their own terrible pain and the four walls of their military hospital rooms.

Auction Updates

2006-11-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

The Valour-IT auctions are growing and they have some great items up for bid:

The Navy team has submarine, naval aviation, and general naval memorabilia, two signed copies of No Higher Honor: Saving the U.S.S. Samuel B Roberts, a signed poster of the documentary Speed and Angels and a signed copy of Lex's amazing Rhythms.

The Army team offers two signed-to-order copies of Blood Brothers: Among the Soldiers of Ward 57 by Michael Weisskopf.

Air Force offers signed copies of Marines in the Garden of Eden and Gulf War Chronicles by Richard S. Lowry (total for this auction will not be credited to a specific team).

Air Force also has Thunderbirds memorabilia.

So, go check it out. Don't miss this great stuff!

The Blood Brothers Connection

2006-11-09T08:51:00.000-08:00

Valour-IT auction has something new and very special: Two copies of Blood Brothers: Among the Soldiers of Ward 57, a book with a very special connection. to Valour-IT:

This one's a must-read. Go get it. And it wouldn't hurt to thank Mr. Weisskopf for the service it's going to do to wounded warfighters and those of us who love them, either. John Donovan and I have been in personal contact with Mr. Weisskopf, and for all his journalistic "objectivity," his response upon hearing of Valour-IT tells us where his heart was in writing this book: "I wrote Blood Brothers for the very people your organization helps."

Now,we offer two signed-to-order copies of this book that explains better than anything else what faces the wounded warriors Valour-IT helps. Go and bid. They're worth every penny.

Bidding closes November 12.