SoldierStrong Marks 15ᵗʰ Anniversary With Focus on New Approaches to Help Veterans Take Their Next Steps Forward
15 July 2024 - 3:00PM
SoldierStrong, a nonprofit group committed to donating
revolutionary medical technology to improve the lives of injured
veterans, marks its 15th anniversary today with a renewed
commitment to fulfill its unique mission.
“SoldierStrong has
donated more than $5.5 million in revolutionary medical technology
to medical facilities and individuals to date, but we’re far from
done,” co-founder and chairman Chris Meek said. “Just as medical
technology advances in recent years have produced life-changing
results, we know that future breakthroughs are going to do the same
in ways we might not even be able to imagine. The entire
SoldierStrong organization and our supporters look forward to those
breakthroughs. We’re committed to connecting veterans with them so
that those men and women who have made such tremendous sacrifices
to defend our freedom and liberties can live their fullest lives in
the years ahead.”
Meek noted that the
organization’s evolution into a national nonprofit coincides with
the evolution of revolutionary medical technology that has helped
veterans take their next steps forward in life. Years ago,
SoldierStrong began to donate robotic exoskeletons to Veterans
Administration medical centers and other healthcare facilities to
aid in the physical rehabilitation of veterans experiencing
mobility challenges due to paralysis, stroke, traumatic brain
injury or other causes.
SoldierStrong has
donated 30 exoskeletons, dubbed the SoldierSuit, to facilities and
individuals across the country to help injured and paralyzed
veterans stand and walk again. The burgeoning use of virtual
reality to treat veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress led
the organization to team with some of the nation’s leading experts
in the field. As a result, SoldierStrong has also donated 30
BraveMind systems to VA facilities and trained clinical staff to
optimize their results.
To help veterans take
their next step forward by seeking more education, SoldierStrong’s
SoldierScholar program has awarded more than $500,000 to 33
recipients, including nine females and one repeat recipient.
SoldierScholar has funded fully endowed scholarships at Syracuse
University, Georgetown University and Old Dominion University. The
Old Dominion University scholarship is designated for women
veterans studying science, technology, engineering or
mathematics.
“SoldierStrong has
enjoyed the support of many donors without whom we would not be
able to change the lives of the veterans we serve. In particular,
our partnerships with the Graham and Courtney Rahal Foundation,
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and United Rentals stand out because
of their generosity for the cause and compassion for those we
serve,” Meek said. “United Rentals, which donates $50 to its Turns
for Troops program for every lap that Graham Rahal completes in
specific races through the IndyCar season, has raised more than
$1.8 million in the past seven years to support the recovery of
America’s injured veterans.”
About
SoldierStrongSoldierStrong is a 501(c)(3) charitable
organization with a mission to provide revolutionary medical
technology, innovative advancements and educational opportunities
to veterans to better their lives and the lives of their families.
Learn more at www.soldierstrong.org.
CONTACT: ERIC WOOLSON
515.681.3967