It's Time to Give Back to Our Wounded - Valour-IT Kick Off 2007!

Posted By Blackfive
[Contributed for Valour-IT by the most excellent Cox and Forkum]

"At that time I had no use of either hand. I know how humbling it is, how humiliating it feels. And I know how much better I felt, how amazingly more functional I felt, after Soldiers' Angels provided me with a laptop and a loyal reader provided me with the software. I can't wait to do the same, to give that feeling to another soldier at Walter Reed." - Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss at TC Override (wounded in Iraq)

Want to be part of something big?

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss (Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss' father), provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse.

Valour-IT's online fundraising competition begins today! Let's see who can raise the most money to help reconnect our wounded warriors with the world!

WHAT: Friendly fundraising competition for Valour-IT.
WHEN: October 29th through Veterans Day, November 11th .
WHERE: Based in the blogosphere, spreading everywhere else.
WHY: Because giving wounded warriors with hand and arm injuries access to a computer supports their healing and puts them back in touch with the world.
HOW: Blogger teams will be divided along military branches, with civilians "up for grabs."

The lines are drawn by service rivalry:

Jarheads (Marines) will be led by Holly Aho
Zoomies (Air Force) will be led by Mrs. Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette
Squids (Navy) will be led by Chaotic Synaptic Activity.
Doggies (Army) led by Matt and Jim of Blackfive

Non-military bloggers should choose a branch the Army to support (they are called the Army's sister services for a reason).

Now, normally, I don't take part in the brutal gentle inter-service rivalry, especially during war.  But this is for a very important charity.  So, civilian bloggers, choose your branch.  Choose wisely...

Sign up for the Army team by enlisting at the Project Valour-IT site and click (under Army) "Join". We'll generate links, buzz, and get these heroes some Commo support!

What Valour-IT Needs From You:

• Blog and email regularly about Valour-IT and the competition
• Tell your friends, family and neighbors about Valour-IT
• We'll have flyers ready soon.

So all you bloggers sign up with your choice of service and get the word out.  Donate NOW!!!

It's a tax-deductible donation and eligible for matching funds from companies who do that sort of thing (see: IRS INFO for proof for the cautious).

The snail mail address for those who'd rather donate that way (be sure to put ARMY in big letters on the check):

Soldiers' Angels
Project Valour-IT Fund - ARMY TEAM
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, Ca 91104

Let's be a part of something big.

Update:  You can see how the competition is shaping up with funds raised and which bloggers have joined each team.  (I noticed MoveOn.org joined the Navy/Coastie Team)...

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» Project Valour-IT Rides Again - 3rd Annual Milblog Competition from Dhimmi This!
Project Valour-IT and a SOGB Matty Burden There is one great thing that you men will all be able to say after this war is over and you are home once again. You may be thankful that twenty years from [Read More]

Comments

[Curt]

That's Navy/Coast Guard to you, Matt...Sea Power will do it again. I see your troops are still behind....get to work!

[FbL]

B5, thanks for again taking a leadership role in the fundraiser.

Unfortunately, I haven't keep the flyers up to date and I'm not able to pull/exchange the ones you've linked to. If you would, please remove the link and we will have the new/updated flyers available sometime today.

Sorry for the hassle, and...

Go, Marines!!!!

[FbL]

Note: For some reason, the Army meter isn't showing new donations. My apologies. We're on it.

[Old Tanker]

I saw the kick off at Michelle Malkin's. She joined the Marine team but I knew what team Matt would be supporting!!! GO ARMY!!

[FbL]

Goodnews: ChipIn widgets ARE collecting the team information, just not showing it. They're supposed to update every five minutes, but obviously there's something going on with their servers.

But since they DO have the info, everything should show up when the widgets start updating again.

[Wink]

It is late in the month for me to pitch in today, this government once a month stuff leaves me straped towards the end.. but I will pitch in my part on the 1st!

GO ARMY!

[defendusa]

Okay B5. I stole your write up and posted the links at my blog and had 550. donated tot he team!!! We are kicking some zoomie,jarhead and squid patootie!! Hooah!!

[Deltabravo]

What do you do if you have a brother in the USMC and one in the USN? Hard choice!

[OldSoldier54]

Deltabravo:

Might I suggest that the clearly NEUTRAL choice would be ... the ARMY!

You know, so nobodies feelings get hurt ... you know how those sibling rivalries can be ... :)

[OldSoldier54]

Cool beans Blackfive! Doing my part ... also trying to recruit from amongst the civies.

[mindy1]

Will try to give a couple bucks for veterans day-can't promise army loyalty. Sorry...

[mindy1]

P.S. like the cartoon-should sell it as a fundraisng shirt.

[Cincinnati_Bob]

Well, There is a sticker on my back window that says "I Love My Sailor!"

The bucks will end up in the right place.

[bostonmaggie]

"So, civilian bloggers, choose your branch. Choose wisely..."
************
LOL! Are you threatening not to go drinking with me at the next MilBlog Conference?!?!?
*************
GO NAVY!!!

[FbL]

Due to the widget problems, we've had to scrap ChipIn.

If you installed one of the ChipIn widgets in your blog, please delete it and get the new code (In Blogger, this new code will work in the sidebar, but not in a regular post. Something to do with "embedded images," I think).

All the old donations have been transfered over to the new totals, but any donations made through the old "ChipIn" widgets are going to have to be moved by hand. So, please get the new code ASAP.

So sorry for all the hassle, but this should fix everything.

[Rosemary]

Dear FbL,

I love you! Thank you for the code. I have been trying everything. I am using blogger, so I have had a time of it. It worked, but I had to widen my whole site! lol. ;)

[Rosemary]

Dear FbL,

Just to let you know, the "Make a Donation" does not work for the NAVY small one that looks like the large one. At least not on mine. So I kept them both. lol. Hey, I like how it looks. What can I say?