The WARD 57 T-shirts are $20 and the Jerseys $45 (plus shipping). All donations and purchases are tax-deductible. Proceeds (minus cost) will go directly to purchase items needed on Ward 57 such as amputee wheelchairs, medical equipment, DVD players, TVs, movies, music, washing machines and other items. To purchase the Ward 57 T-shirt and jersey go to, www.thinkbigfoundation.org/ward57.html.
Imagine you are 19 years old and missing all four of your extremities along with having half your face blown off? Soldiers are either alive and well and coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan or are dead. WARD 57 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington DC, home of "Warrior Care" is filled with those that have been torn apart both physically and mentally. They are taking months to recover only to be discharged to substandard housing for even more recovery time, with some taking years.
This is the Ward of the forgotten. Even though politicians and celebrities visit them on a daily basis for a photo-op, these young men (and a few women) are bored, depressed and in pain, day after day with little contact with the outside world. Morale is at an all-time low as both Congress and the President "rushed" to "fix" the problems after the housing scandal was exposed. Meanwhile, items that would greatly improve patient care and morale on Ward 57 go unfulfilled. Politics do not move fast enough, so a small group of people based in Seattle and the staff of Ward 57 are working together to raise funds through the sale of the Ward 57 T-shirt and football jersey.
This grassroots effort started with a personal visit to a young amputee from Seattle who was stuck on the Ward for seven months. He needed a morale boost to help get him through the next round of surgeries to save his surviving foot from being amputated. The patient got a Seahawks gift pack delivered by NFL player Kerry Carter and music industry/not-for profit professional Deborah Semer (Semer's husband works on the Ward). Since that visit, Carter's Think Big Foundation and Semer's company, Atmosphere Artist Management have joined together to raise funds and buy things for the Ward. Word is spreading quickly around the country. Semer's friend and colleague, Doug Cox, owner of the Seattle-based national street promotion company, Poster Giant encouraged the creation of a special mesh football jersey for bands to wear on tour. Brian Richeal, owner of TeeFX in New York (and a musician) agreed to sponsor the idea.
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