Fisher House Foundation, Inc.

“Dedicated to our greatest national treasure ..
our military service men and women and their loved ones”

FOR RELEASE:  August 11, 2006

Contact:  Jim Weiskopf
Jweiskopf@fisherhouse.org

Recipients Selected For 2006 “Newman’s Own” Awards

“Stars for Stripes" Receives $5,000 Grant
Stars for Stripes, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee
The goal of “Stars for Stripes” is to enhance the morale of service men and women overseas, bringing a touch of home and comfort to internationally deployed troops, by allowing celebrity entertainers to donate their time by touring remote locations.  For more information contact: Judy Seale (judy@starsforstripes.com)
 

General Peter Pace, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Presents Awards in Pentagon Ceremony

General Peter Pace, the nation’s senior military leader and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, assisted in the presentation of $75,000 in grants to 12 volunteer organizations for their innovative programs to improve military quality of life. 
General Pace joined Fisher House Foundation Chairman Ken Fisher; Bill Lee, Vice President of Newman’s Own; and David Smith, Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, Military Times Media Group in an August 11, 2006 ceremony in the Pentagon Auditorium where recipients of the 2006 “Newman’s Own Awards” were announced.
"Sew Much Comfort,” an organization providing adaptive clothing to hospitalized service men and women at military and VA medical centers, was judged as the best entry and received a $15,000 grant.  The “Adaptive Clothing for Wounded Troops” program recognizes the extensive medical treatment for those most grievously wounded, and “Sew Much Comfort” designs, creates, and delivers adaptive clothing to accommodate fixators, prosthetics, and casts too bulky to fit under ordinary clothing. Eleven other organizations shared $60,000 in grants.
This is the seventh year that Newman’s Own, Fisher House Foundation, and Military Times Media Group have jointly sponsored the program which seeks to reward ingenuity and innovation for volunteer organizations working to improve military quality of life.  The challenge is straightforward:  “Present an innovative plan to improve the quality of life for the military community and receive funding to carry out the plans.”  The emphasis of the competition was for organizations involved in supporting deployed service members or the families of deployed service members. 
Since 2000, the annual competition has recognized a total of 88 organizations with grants totaling $357,000.
A total of 120 entries were received.  Six judges evaluated each entry based on the organization’s impact to the respective communities, creativity and innovation.  To be eligible, each organization was required to certify that it was a non-profit or private volunteer organization operating with authority of a military installation commander.  Every organization submitting an entry will receive a certificate of recognition from Paul Newman.

Judges for the 2006 competition were:
         Mrs. Lynne Pace                Spouse of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

         Mrs. Cindy Giambastiani     Spouse of Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

         Mrs. Mary Jo Myers            Trustee, Fisher House Foundation, and spouse of
                                                  former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

         Mrs. Tammy Fisher            Trustee, Fisher House Foundation, and spouse of
                                                 Chairman, Fisher House Foundation

        Mr. Bill Lee                         Vice President, Business Development, Newman’s
                                                 Own

        Mrs. Pam Papay                Director of Charity Administration, Newman’s Own

OVERALL WINNING ENTRY $15,000 GRANT

 “Adaptive Clothing for Wounded Troops”    
Sew Much Comfort, Burnsville, Minnesota
As a result of combat operations in a variety of dangerous places, American military personnel are sustaining serious and life-changing injuries.  Modern medical technology is having great success saving the lives of these heroes; however, medicine doesn't address some of their basic needs, such as clothing that will accommodate medical devices and situations - braces, fixators, casts, prosthetics and burns.  Sew Much Comfort designs, creates, and delivers adaptive clothing to service members at all major military medical centers.  For more information contact: Michele Cuppy (cuppy.m@comcast.net)

 $7,500 GRANT

 “Homes for Our Troops”                                                                 
Homes for Our Troops, Inc., Taunton, Massachusetts
“Homes for Our Troops” builds specially adapted homes or adapts existing homes to meet the unique needs of disabled veterans returning home from the global war on terror.  Donations of money, land, labor, and materials allow this to be done at no cost to the veteran.  For more information contact: John Gonsalves, President and Founder (jsgonsalves@homesforourtroops.org)

 “Kids Serve Too”           
Salute Our Services, Reston, Virginia
“Kids Serve Too” fosters awareness of the challenges that face military children during deployments, hosts free events for them around the country, and provides financial assistance to keep them involved in their extracurricular activities.  Grants have been provided to children of deployed Marines, Airmen and women, Sailors, and Soldiers in over twenty states across the nation.   The Kids Serve Too youth Co-Chairs, Kat and Clare Lanigan (the 14 and 15 year old daughters of a US Army Reservist), in partnership with Warner Brothers, spearhead "A Thousand Thanks to Military Children," sending letters of thanks signed by a wide range of characters--from Bugs Bunny, Tweety, to Scooby Doo--to children of deployed military reminding them that they are our heroes, too.  Kids Serve Too has touched the lives of military kids in over 48 states. For more information contact: Courtney Reddington (courtney.reddington@us.army.mil)

 $5,000 GRANTS

“Yellow Ribbon Fund”          
Yellow Ribbon Fund, Inc., Washington, District of Columbia
“Yellow Ribbon Fund” provides assistance to the families of wounded troops treated at the National Naval Medical Hospital, Bethesda and Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  Supplying transportation and lodging assistance, and support for activities and events in the local area, the volunteers of Yellow Ribbon Fund welcome injured service members into their community.  For more information contact: Denis Neill (denisneill@gmail.com)

“Angels of Mercy”      
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 270, McLean, Virginia
“Angels of Mercy” volunteers visit wounded/injured military recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center weekly, providing clothing essentials, comfort items, and delivering messages of caring from all across America.  The project also provides requested items to Combat Support Hospitals and remote military locations.  A new effort to supply clean, used clothing to children in Iraq and Afghanistan has shipped thousands of items to military units for distribution to the children.  For more information contact: Marian T. Chirichella (auxiliary270var@aol.com)

“Operation Laptop”                    
Operation Homelink, NFP, Chicago, Illinois
Combining community and corporate support, the “Operation Laptop” program makes refurbished wireless laptops available to military medical centers all across the United States. The computers serve as a link between hospitalized service members, veterans, and their families, allowing them to communicate to those waiting back home and still serving overseas.  For more information contact: Dan Shannon (dan@operationhomelink.org)

“Operation Helping Hand”                                      
Tampa Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, Tampa, Florida
“Operation Helping Hand” provides assistance to the very seriously wounded and injured active duty personnel who were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, and are now receiving treatment at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, Florida.  Maximum assistance and support is also given to their families.  For more information contact: Captain Robert J. Silah, US Navy, Retired (bsilah@aol.com)

“Our Military Kids”                                      
Our Military Kids, Inc., McLean, Virginia
Our Military Kids, Inc. is dedicated to making essential extracurricular activities, including tutoring services, available to children of deployed and severely injured Reserve and National Guard military personnel.  Because many military resources are distant and inaccessible to these families, grants from Our Military Kids allow children to integrate fully into their own community.  For more information contact: Linda Davidson (lmdavidson@ourmilitarykids.org)

“Eagle Heroes Project”                                            
Operation Homefront – Fort Campbell / Nashville, Clarksville, Tennessee
The “Eagles Heroes Project” focuses on providing all of the normal services for families of deployed soldiers directly to wounded soldiers returning from combat operations.  Working closely with counselor advocates at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, volunteers work to meet daily needs and respond to emergency situations, relieving stress in an already difficult time.  For more information contact: Debbie Shoup (ftcampbell@operationhomefront.net)

“United Through Reading®”                      
Family Literacy Foundation, San Diego, California
The “United Through Reading” program allows deployed military parents to stay connected with their children during long separations through the medium of reading aloud in videotape.  To date the program has served over 143,000 military personnel, spouses, and children.  For more information contact: Betty Mohlenbrock (betty@read2kids.org)

“Emergency Support Services Program”       
Operation Homefront, San Diego, California
Operation Homefront’s “Emergency Support Services Program” serves as a life line for families of deployed service members during stressful emergencies.  Program volunteers become an “extended family” when difficult times arrive by providing crucial support to San Diego’s military families.  For more information contact:  Teri Patterson (teri@operationhomefront.net)

"Stars for Stripes”   
Stars for Stripes, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee
The goal of “Stars for Stripes” is to enhance the morale of service men and women overseas, bringing a touch of home and comfort to internationally deployed troops, by allowing celebrity entertainers to donate their time by touring remote locations.  For more information contact: Judy Seale (judy@starsforstripes.com)