Support Needed for Veteran's Fundraiser

SSG Travis Mills' life was forever changed on April 10, 2012, when an IED took portions of both arms and both legs while on patrol with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan.  Lucky to survive the devastating blast, Travis: A Soldier’s Story is a documentary on Travis’ struggle as a quadruple amputee that is inspiring movie goers across the country to “never give up, never quit.”

 “Travis’ disabilities are the most horrendous of what any person has to endure, learn to live through and re-learn to function and thrive, and no Veteran should be forgotten. I hope everyone comes out to the movie and is inspired by the strength and fortitude it takes for a soldier to come back from these disabilities.” said Lou Vargas, Commander of the Will County Disabled American Veterans.

Hosted by the Will County DAV, Travis’ documentary will be shown at the AMC Showplace New Lenox on Thursday July 10, 2014, pending the sale of 47 more tickets by July 2.  Tickets are $11 per person and are only available online at www.tugg.com/events/9105. Guests are asked to arrive at the theater by 6:15pm.  The Commander of the Will County DAV will speak at 6:30pm, followed by a prayer and the singing of the National Anthem. Tugg is a web based company that works with local theaters to bring requested movies to the silver screen, as long as a minimum number of tickets are sold by a certain date.   

An optional and separate dinner event will be held in the banquet room at Beggar’s Pizza in New Lenox at 8pm, following the movie. Cost of the dinner is $15 and guests can purchase tickets online at www.jl-design.com/soldiersstory. Dinner will include a variety of pizzas, dinner salad, non-alcoholic drinks, and ice cream, with a cash bar available.  During dinner, guests can purchase raffle tickets for the military display board game and bid on military themed art work from area artists.

The movie and dinner are provided ‘at cost’, so the Will County DAV is relying on dinner sponsors and raffle ticket sales to provide Thanksgiving meals to disabled Vets in Will County. “We pick up where the government leaves off”, said Commander Vargas. “Our chapter donates money to the Will County VAC (Veteran Assistance Commission) for veteran dental care, healthcare and need-based requests, and to Hines VA and Jesse Brown VA for canteen books that allow hospitalized veterans to purchase necessity items and haircuts. The Will County DAV has also purchased healthcare items for Hines VA Clinic in Joliet for instruments that test hearing and for women’s health needs that the government would not provide.”

For more information regarding this special one-time event or to become a sponsor, please contact Tim Howe at (708) 244-3906 or Lou Vargas at (815) 546-4981. You can also find the event on facebook at www.facebook.com/events/279445715567628.