The Patriot Magazine Volume 5 Issue 2

2014 VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 2

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION, INC. TM

www.fisherhouse.org

A Look Back—Then Forward:

The Scott Family INVICTUS GAMES

DAY IN THE LIFE

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

For Our Wounded Warriors

Contest Photo Winners

Through Fisher House

Contents Social Media Support

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Fisher House Design Contest

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Guest Family­Profile: Cooper Family

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Fisher House Volunteer of the Year

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Marathon Jams

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Radio Report

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Fisher House Scholarship Opportunities

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First Lady's Easter Visit

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Fisher House Golf Classic

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Fisher House Salutes

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Kardashians Visit LA Fisher House

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Cover Story: The Scott Family

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Serve Those Who Served

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Invictus Games

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Journal Entries

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Brewers Make Good Neighbors

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2014 Day In the Life Photo Contest

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Meet the Manager

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Play Ball

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Hero Miles

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Why I Run for Team Fisher House

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House Round-Up

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Dedications

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Future Fisher Houses in Action

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Down Range

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Fisher House Directory

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FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN AND CEO Kenneth Fisher PRESIDENT David A. Coker CHIEF OF STAFF Mary Considine EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kerri Childress MANAGING EDITOR Ashley Estill LAYOUT AND ART DIRECTION ds+f www.dsfriends.com Address all correspondence to: The Patriot Fisher House Foundation 111 Rockville Pike Suite 420 Rockville, Maryland 20850

About Fisher House Foundation, Inc. The Fisher House program provides a "home away from home" for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. The homes provide free temporary lodging so military and veterans’ families can be close to their loved ones during a medical crisis.

Recognizing the special sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform, and their families, Fisher House Foundation helps by meeting a humanitarian need outside the scope offered by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. This is a unique program, a private-public partnership to support America’s military heroes, both veterans and active duty service members, in their time of need.

Each Fisher House is located on the grounds of major military and VA Medical Centers in the United States, as well as locations in Europe.

Our houses provide a comforting, first-class “home away from home” while loved ones receive care in an unfamiliar environment — all at NO COST to the service member or their families. This special support is very important during the most stressful time — the hospitalization of a loved one. Each Fisher House provides all the comforts of home — a spacious dining, living, laundry and family room, kitchen, and private bedrooms for families to retreat and rejuvenate after a stressful day at the hospital. While the road to recovery is different for every family, one thing remains the same — Fisher House is there to provide comfort and compassion.

In addition to constructing new houses, Fisher House Foundation continues to support existing Fisher Houses and help individual military families in need. The Foundation is also proud to administer and sponsor

Scholarships for Military Children, Heroes’ Legacy Scholarship, the Hero Miles program, the Hotels for Heroes program, Team Fisher House, and co-sponsor the Newman’s Own Awards program and the Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program.

By contributing to Fisher House Foundation or any individual Fisher House facility, you can make a difference in the lives of America’s service members, retirees, veterans and their families when they need help the most. Fisher House Foundation and individual Fisher Houses depend on public donations to continue our important work. If you designate your contribution for a specific purpose or Fisher House, 100 percent of your donation will be allocated for that purpose.

Furthermore, Fisher House Foundation never discloses the names of its donors to any other individuals or organizations, and does not solicit contributions by direct mail or telephone.

Once constructed, each Fisher House is given to the US government as a gift. Military service secretaries and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs are responsible for the operation and maintenance of the homes. Fisher House Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, builds new houses, assists in coordinating private support and encourages public support for the homes.

Fisher House Foundation has earned the highest rating (four stars) from Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit evaluator. Fisher House Foundation has also received an A+ rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy. Donations to Fisher House Foundation and/or individual Fisher House facilities are taxdeductible to the maximum extent allowed by law.

Phone: (301) 294-8560 Fax: (301) 294-8562 Email: info@fisherhouse.org

Thank you so much to Don Schaaf & Friends, Inc. in Washington, DC for your donated services in designing The Patriot.

www.fisherhouse.org

Cover photo courtesy of Craig Orsini www.orsinistudio.com

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LETTER FROM KEN FISHER Dear Friends, When the doors to the first Fisher House opened welcoming military families nearly 25 years ago, my Uncle Zachary never dreamed that the Fisher House program would one day stretch across the country and overseas. The simple undertaking of providing free temporary lodging for the families of service men and women during a medical crisis has grown to include scholarships, emergency transportation, and many other ways where Fisher House fills the gap when a family needs help.

Ken and Tammy Fisher meeting with the Quogue Fire Department and thanking them for their service and donation.

Fisher House Program by the

Numbers

$235 Million Savings for Families in Lodging and Transportation Cost

5.2 Million Days of Lodging Offered Over

200 Thousand

With new houses opening this year in Gainesville, FL and at Travis Air Force Base, CA, we continue to expand our assistance further into the veterans’ community. Service members have sacrificed so much in the last 13 years this nation has been at war. As they enroll to receive lifelong treatment for wounds and injuries in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system, we continue to construct Fisher Houses in new communities across the country to meet this ever expanding need. More than ever, it is important to show our support for our nation’s veterans.

This year, we also reached a staggering milestone: the Hero Miles program booked its 50,000th ticket. Providing airline tickets for family members — at no cost to them — means they will be by their loved ones side to support their continued recovery. This program has made an incalculable difference in the healing process for thousands of military and veterans’ families since it began in 2004. This fall, Fisher House Foundation supported the US team of athletes, all wounded and injured service members, who traveled to the United Kingdom for the Invictus Games. Inspired by the Warrior Games, Prince Harry also invited family and friends of US athletes to London.

Thanks to Hero Miles, they were able to support their loved ones and the entire team at the games.

In each issue of The Patriot when I share the accomplishments of the Fisher House program with our readers, I share the pride in what we have done together towards bridging unmet needs. Commitment to honoring and serving our military and veterans’ families in their time of need is a pledge we all share. Thank you for being part of the solution.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Families Served

64 Fisher Houses in Operation

Kenneth Fisher Chairman and CEO, Fisher House Foundation

Charity Ratings: A+ The statistics in this graphic are calculated since Fisher House program inception.

Fisher House Foundation works hard to be a good steward of the resources entrusted to us. It is a privilege to do the work we do, and we are proud to hold the highest ratings that can be awarded with the top national charity watch dog organizations.

Fisher House Foundation has received an A+ from the American Institute of Philanthropy in their “Veterans and Military” category.

Out of 49 charities rated, Fisher House Foundation is one of only three charities to receive their distinctive A+ rating.

Charity Navigator awarded the Foundation their coveted 4-star rating for sound fiscal management for the tenth consecutive year, a rating achieved by only one percent of all the charities in the country that they monitor.

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SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT

FACEBOOK FEEDBACK www.facebook.com/FisherHouse “I loved the Fisher House in Landstuhl. I stayed there for about 10 days while my daughter was in the NICU, so I didn't have to leave her. I was only 2 minutes away which eased my mind so so much. They cooked meals and were just incredibly nice people. I'm forever thankful for this organization.”

— Corinna E. “Thank you for doing a wonderful thing for the families of those who have suffered so much. We thank them for their service.”

— Genece W. “My family and I have been the recipients of the generosity of the Fisher House Foundation many times. My husband has been fighting illnesses too often. About 100 miles from our home the Seattle House has taken care of us while the Seattle VA Hospital staff works hard to keep him in our lives.

Thank you to Cecile, Loraine, Michelle, Carrie, Steve & Brad.

You have made us part of your family.”

— Phyllis S.

TWITTER LOVE www.twitter.com/FisherHouseFdtn For Our Country @forourcountry @FisherHouseFdtn Our founder stayed at the Fisher House on Ft. Sam Houston while his brother was recovering.

Amazing organization! #thankyou Heroic Tymes @HeroicTymes @FisherHouseFdtn Everyday I look out my office window and see a roof protecting the heads of our American Heroes.

Thank You Fisher Family!!!

JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Don’t forget to connect with us on Instagram too!

Instagram.com/FisherHouseFdtn and share your story with us using the hashtag #FisherHouse!

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FISHER HOUSE DESIGN CONTEST The Foundation is excited to announce our t-shirt contest results. The idea was to share a nice gift that would also build awareness of our mission in a fun and inspiring way. This past spring we took that concept from idea to reality.

We used a web based design contest site that allowed people from all around the world to submit designs for shirts. Many of the designers had military backgrounds or family in the military. The result was over 550 designs from 165 designers. We had a lot of fun judging the entries and working with the designers. From all those entries we selected three winning designs.

The winning designs were produced by a veteran owned shirt company, Tees4Vets, www.tees4vets.com.

They will be provided to families staying at selected Fisher Houses, with more houses added on after that.

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GUEST FAMILY PROFILE

The Cooper Family

Story and Photos by Ashley Estill

NAME: THOMAS AND VIOLA COOPER HOUSE: KEESLER MEDICAL CENTER – KEESLER AFB, MS HOME STATE: ALABAMA MILITARY BRANCH: ARMY

"This has been a real life saver for us. The Fisher House is a wonderful place.”

Thomas Cooper sat with his wife Viola in the Fisher House living room as he started our conversation with those words.

Tom has cancer and normally would have had to drive from his home in Alabama to Keesler Air Force Base for treatment every day. The Fisher House alleviated that burden so Tom and Viola could focus on his recovery.

“We would have trouble getting here on time every day with traffic and weather,” Viola started. “It was helpful to just be here and go right over to the hospital.”

Tom and Viola called Fisher House their home for the duration of Tom’s treatment, spending 42 days at the house. They hadn’t heard of the Fisher House until the receptionist at the hospital suggested they stay there instead of driving each day.

Fisher House manager Larry Vetter spoke with the couple and told them they were more than welcome to call Fisher House their home.

Tom’s service to this nation was during the Cold War — he was in Germany when the Berlin Wall was built. He remained in Germany from 1960-1962 and then was in

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Tom and Viola in the Living Room of the Keesler Fisher House.

“ It was helpful to just be here and go right over to the hospital.” the reserves until 1966, being discharged from the Army just before the Vietnam War. Their favorite part of the Fisher House is the kitchen — Tom and Viola spent many moments getting together with other families and talking.

“You don’t realize how many people are going through the things they have to go through,” Viola said. “Just yesterday we went to a movie and ate with another couple. We’re going to stay in touch with them.”

The couple agreed the dining room wasn’t a bad place to be either — especially if Larry was cooking.

“I tell you, Larry is a good cook,” Viola said. “He just jumps right in there — he’s the best man for this job.”

The Fisher House provided a safe haven, food and even better company to Tom and Viola during their stay — which ended with Tom’s last cancer treatment post interview.

Tom was leaving the Fisher House for his last treatment and rang the infamous bell that all cancer patients do on their last day. A patient who had received cancer treatment at the hospital donated the bell for future patients to on their last day. As the interview concluded, Tom and Viola set out for his turn to ring the bell.

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FISHER HOUSE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARDS With 64 Fisher Houses worldwide serving 22,000 families per year, it seems only logical that our homes need a little help taking care of our special guests. Fisher House volunteers provide invaluable services to the military families they support, in addition to offering a kind ear to listen or a shoulder to lean on. Volunteers help make a Fisher House a home for so many, and to honor their service, Fisher House Foundation has conducted our annual Volunteer of the Year award to pay tribute to a few of our amazing volunteers. Here are the winners.

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR WINNER

ANITA OLDS PICTURED AT THE RIGHT WITH FOUNDATION PRESIDENT DAVID COKER.

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR WINNER

FISHER HOUSE: TRAVIS AFB, CA

Anita Olds was first introduced to the Travis Fisher House when she became a guest after many months of driving her husband, Greg, back and forth for treatment after his diagnosis with leukemia. While a guest, Anita began helping in any way she could. After her husband passed, Anita remained a Fisher House volunteer, making the long drive to volunteer nearly eight hours on average of two or three days per week. Her positive attitude, leadership skills and organizational skills have made her an invaluable part of the Travis Fisher House team.

Above and beyond: Anita met another guest staying at the Travis Fisher House with her significant other. The couple had never married and the patient was desperate to marry his love. Anita planned a wedding and reception at the Fisher House, decorated the home and made sure the couple had a beautiful day.

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VALERIE DEMESA-BRUEMMER

FISHER HOUSE: ST. LOUIS, MO

After retiring in 2012, Mrs. Val, as she is known, wanted to serve her community. As the wife of an Army retiree, Val was looking for a way to serve veterans and their families. She read an article about Fisher House and realized how meaningful it would be for families to have a home cooked meal so far from home. Every Friday she prepares a feast for the St. Louis Fisher House guests.

Above and beyond: In addition to cooking, Mrs. Val offers administrative support whenever she is needed, lending her dedicated and committed attitude to another area of the Fisher House.

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arathon Jams have been held all over the world for several years, raising funds and awareness for the Fisher House program. The multihour, all-acoustic, bluegrass sessions are held at various locations, including combat zones, where folks get together to listen to music while supporting military

families. Over the past five years, the jams have raised over $300,000. Thanks to all of the locations who put so much effort into these fun events!

This year, Fisher House Foundation was presented with three Hermes Creative Awards, an international competition for creative professionals. Awards were given for The Patriot magazine and for the PSA titled, “A Hero’s Story.” We could not win these awards without gracious support from Don Schaaf and Friends Inc./ds+f who help design the magazine, which received two of the three awards, and from David Freed, a Hollywood producer and his team for creating a captivating Public Service Announcement.

To view these winning magazine issues or video, visit www.fisherhouse.org.

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RADIO REPORT Story by Marshall Adams

Photo by Marshall Adams

PALO ALTO, C ​ alif. For a fourth year,

San Francisco's KSFO-AM ("Hot Talk 560") and morning host Brian Sussman raised more than $100,000 for Fisher House Foundation during a live broadcast from the 21-room Fisher House at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System.

At last count, KSFO listeners donated $111,000 over the Memorial Day weekend.

Sussman talked live with Fisher House guests including Tammi Adams of Colton, Oregon.

Her son, Army Sgt. Jordan Adams, 26, sustained traumatic brain injuries in an auto wreck near his home four days before Christmas 2013. Mrs. Adams has been staying at the Fisher House since March, allowing

her to be within a short walk of her son's hospital bed.

"The need for this is great," she said. "It helps the soldiers and the patients to recuperate better, because they have their loved ones around and they have that support."

Before a VA social worker told Mrs. Adams and her husband of Fisher House, the family had planned on staying in a travel trailer parked in the VA hospital lot.

"I can see his room, right there," said Mrs. Adams, pointing to windows at the VA hospital across the parking lot from the Fisher House. "It just gives me a peace inside. It's the closest thing to sleeping in his room."

Since 2011, KSFO has raised more than $480,000 for Fisher House Foundation.

KSFO Host Brian Sussman and Tammi Adams at the Palo Alto Fisher House.

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During the broadcast, Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO Ken Fisher mentioned Fisher House Foundation has earned a coveted "four-star" rating from watchdog CharityNavigator for 10

consecutive years, and that Fisher House uses 96 cents of every donated dollar for program service initiatives.

"Fisher House Foundation is thankful for the support of KSFO and its listeners," Fisher said. "Yet again, Brian Sussman has brought to life the needs of our veterans, military and their families. We greatly appreciate his voice."

"Once again, the San Francisco Bay Area's patriotism was on display as the faithful listeners of KSFO rallied to help the families of our wounded warriors," Sussman said.

"It's an honor and privilege to host this exciting radio event."

The broadcast coincided with the airing of Fisher House's two Memorial Daythemed radio shows, "Our Greatest National Treasure" and "The Gift," on more than 200 news/talk and country stations respectively.

The shows are podcast at fisherhouse.org.

Fisher House will return to the radio with special programming over Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Fisher House Foundation’s Scholarship Opportunities Although the main mission of Fisher House Foundation is to build and support a network of comfort homes across the nation, the Foundation is also proud to help administer three scholarship programs in support of families as well.

Heroes’ Legacy Scholarship The Heroes’ Legacy Scholarship program was founded in 2011 to assist with college tuition for children of service members who died or were severely disabled while serving our country after September 11, 2001.

Applications for the 2015-2016 academic year will be available by visiting fisherhouse.org in December 2014. Deadline for submission will be March 2015.

Scholarships for Military Children Children of active duty personnel, reserve/guard and retired military members, survivors of service members who died while on active duty, or survivors of individuals who died while receiving retired pay from the military are eligible to apply to the Scholarship for Military Children Program for assistance with college tuition.

Applications may be downloaded from fisherhouse.org in December 2014 and must be submitted at your local commissary in February 2015.

Military Spouse Scholarships Fisher House Foundation is a proud sponsor of the National Military Family Association’s (NMFA) Joanne Holbrook Patton Scholarship for military spouses. This program helps prepare military spouses for meaningful employment and to better contribute to their family’s financial security. This program is available to spouses and surviving spouses of active duty, National Guard, reserve and retired service members.

Applications are available via the NMFA website at www.militaryfamily.org.

For more information on Fisher House Foundation's scholarship programs, please visit www.fisherhouse.org or www.militaryscholar.org.

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First Ladyy "First Dogs" and Visit Fisher House

PHOTOS BY MC3 BRANDON WILLIAMS-CHURCH

For the third year in a row, First Lady Mrs. Michelle Obama and her dogs held an early Easter celebration for military families at the Fisher House at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Mrs. Obama visited Fisher House families at the Bethesda, MD medical center where she handed out cookies made by the White House pastry chefs and greeted families in the dining room of the comfort home. While young children decorated Easter cards, Mrs. Obama visited each table and before she left, presented everyone with tickets to the annual White House Egg Roll. Thank you to the First Lady for the wonderful visit!

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Families

Meet the Staff

The Patriot introduces a new feature to our magazine — Meet the Staff! Fisher House Foundation is comprised of many passionate and talented people. Each issue you’ll meet someone new who helps contribute to our mission of supporting our military and their families.

The 11th Annual Fisher House Golf Classic was held in Leesburg, VA, with proceeds going to the Foundation’s Heroes' Legacy program, which provides scholarships to the children of the fallen and seriously disabled. Led by sponsors DHL, SAP, and United Technology Corporation, Fisher House Foundation supporters were joined by five Medal of Honor recipients, and 18 wounded warriors for a spectacular day on the links. At the closing ceremony, CNN’s Kyra Phillips and Brianna Keilar, the co-Masters of Ceremony, announced the day’s proceeds exceeded an astounding $1 million. Thanks to our heroes, sponsors, volunteers and everyone that made this day a success.

David Coker, President Dave was Fisher House Foundation’s very first employee — hired by Zachary Fisher after Dave retired from the Army in 1994. When Dave began, there were 14 Fisher Houses in existence. Twenty years later, the program now has 64 homes across the nation and in Europe.

“Having had the opportunity to work for Zachary Fisher and now for Ken Fisher is a dream come true. What people need to know is that the highlight of any day is meeting the families we are privileged to serve, and my greatest skill is recognizing talent — we are blessed to have a staff that is not only skilled, but passionate about what we do.”

Just recently we helped Dave celebrate his 20th anniversary with Fisher House — here’s to 20 more years Dave!

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FISHER HOUSE SALUTES

Military service members and their families are supported by countless organizations who acknowledge their sacrifices. Here we’ll feature a top tier organization each issue.

WE SALUTE: TAPS TAPS is the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. This nonprofit organization provides care and support to anyone who has suffered the loss of a member of the armed forces. They provide 24/7 tragedy resources and provide comfort and care through their services and programs. These include peer-based emotional support, case work assistance, connections to community-based care, and grief and trauma resources. TAPS has assisted over 50,000 surviving family members, casualty officers and caregivers since inception in 1994. Each year Fisher House Foundation helps support their National Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp for Young Survivors through our Hero Miles program, flying in those attending their events. To find out about these events and more; if you are suffering or know someone who is suffering, visit www.taps.org or call 1-800-959-8277.

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S se u N o H A r I e h is H F S A A isit L V D R A K Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian were joined by their step father Bruce Jenner at the LA Fisher House for a visit with military families.

Kourtney, Khloe and Bruce arrived and were greeted by Fisher House trustee Tammy Fisher, Foundation president, David Coker and the LA Fisher House manager Sharon Hudson.

After a tour of the house, Khloe, Kourtney and Bruce served dinner for guests before joining them in the home’s dining room.

The trio spent quality time engaging with all of the home’s guests. During their visit, Fisher House residents learned that Bruce’s father was a D-Day veteran, storming the beaches of Normandy. Thank you for visiting the Fisher House!

Photos by Ashley Estill

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COVER STORY

"Little Blainey" and Master Sergeant Scott were on the cover of The Patriot in 2009.

Then and Now: The Scott Family How Master Sergeant Blaine Scott, USMC went from being a patient to advocate for other Marine families at San Antonio Military Medical Center STORY BY ASHLEY ESTILL PHOTOS BY CRAIG ORSINI

"Come on in,” said Master Sergeant Blaine Scott, USMC, as he greeted myself and two photographers at his home in New Braunfels, a short drive from San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas.

Blaine emerged from his garage, followed by his 7-year-old son, “Little Blainey,” who was eager to start the day. Inside the Scott family home were Blaine’s wife, Lilly, and 10-year-old daughter Isabella. Covering the outside of their manicured lawn, were several United States Marine Corps signs.

In case you didn’t know a Marine lived there — you did once you pulled up.

Blaine was getting ready to leave for work — the active duty Marine is the Staff Noncommissioned Officer in Charge at the San Antonio Military Medical Center Marine Corps Detachment, assisting wounded Marines and their families during their stay at SAMMC. Lilly was chasing Little Blainey around to get his shoes tied, as Blaine began to serve coffee at the early hour.

Inside their home were photos spanning the last decade, from Lilly and Blaine dating, to their early years of marriage, followed by photos of the family of four.

Shortly after we arrived, Blaine emerged from his office with a photo of himself with Little Blainey at the dedication of the Los Angeles Fisher House in 2008. Blaine and Lilly were all too familiar with the Fisher House after Lilly’s stay at the Fisher House at SAMMC in 2006. On August 20,

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2006, Blaine’s vehicle was struck by an IED “Knowing that my wife was at the Fisher in Iraq, burning nearly half of his body. This House and having what she had there, and is where their Fisher House story began… people to talk to, made me not worry about her when she left for the day,” Blaine recalled.

“I received a phone call at 8:33 in the morning, “I could concentrate on my recovery and that Blaine had suffered a severe injury,” getting back to where I am today.”

Lilly recalled. “I didn’t know how bad it was.

All I knew was he was being evacuated from Once Blaine recovered enough to return to Iraq, stabilized in Germany, and then sent the fleet, he was deployed to Afghanistan. to San Antonio.”

Once he returned, he needed a new home.

Blaine chose to return to San Antonio “I was still in California with our three- where he learned he would be taking care of year-old daughter, and I left once Blaine wounded service members. was stable enough to arrive in San Antonio.

Then I was on a plane, six months pregnant In his current position, one he’s held for with our second child,” she continued. three years, Blaine looks after all the nonmedical needs of his Marines. Having been Isabella stayed with Lilly’s parents while a patient, Blaine is ideal for ensuring that Lilly rushed to be by her husband’s side. his Marines transition smoothly and their Her first stop was to the Fisher House, even families are well taken care of. Blaine’s job before she went to the hospital. Blaine was still takes him to the Fisher House, where undergoing wound care that didn’t allow several of his Marines families are staying. visitors at the time.

“These families couldn’t be here if it wasn’t Marines helped Lilly check into the for the Fisher House — financially and Fisher House. emotionally,” he continued. “They have a home to come back to; somewhere to settle “Immediately I felt the warmth,” she said. down, relax and get back to some normalcy “Even though I was crying, I felt comfortable for themselves. I thank the Fisher House for and safe.” doing that not only for my family, but for the She saw Blaine a few hours later in the ICU Marines I care for deeply as well.” burn ward — ­ a sight she doesn’t wish upon anyone — but she was happy her husband was alive.

For nearly 18 months, Blaine concentrated on his recovery, taking comfort that his wife was safe and a short walk away.

wife have built their home and a good life for themselves.

When asked if Blaine would make a clean break after he retired or keep military connections, his answer was swift and simple.

“When I retire, I’ll always be here for my Marine brothers no matter what.”

Blaine considers San Antonio the most rewarding place to be. He’s seen Marines arrive to the medical center in terrible condition, and then leave with a future.

Blaine received tremendous support from his Marines and his family. The relationship Blaine has with his family is stronger than ever. Sometimes tragedies don’t always have a happy ending. Sometimes they pull a family apart versus bringing them together.

Blaine attributes their family’s success to a strong marriage before the bomb.

“We were strong before we came into this,” Blaine said. “We had a strong relationship before I was injured. My wife told me ‘We’re going to get through this.’ Whenever I didn’t feel like doing something, she’d kick me in the butt and tell me I needed to do this.

Having that support, I wouldn’t be where Blaine’s got about one more year left, and we are today. I did the same for my wife. he will retire from the Marine Corps with Our kids depended on us. I was fortunate 23 years of service to this nation. His plans that I have a strong wife and we are strong together.” include staying in Texas, where he and his

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STORY BY MATT GRILLS PHOTO BY DAVID HANDSCHUH REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 ISSUE

Fisher House CEO calls his foundation’s mission ‘beautiful in its simplicity.’

As chairman and CEO of Fisher House, Ken Fisher has heard from thousands of military and veteran families, all grateful for a free place to stay while loved ones receive medical care.

There’s one note, though, he cherishes most.

“It says, ‘Dear Ken’ ­— not Mr. Fisher, I don’t like that — ‘thank you for allowing me to spend Christmas with my son.’ That’s it.

“Can you imagine?” he says. “What would have happened if this program wasn’t there and these parents couldn’t afford a hotel?

What if they couldn’t fly there because their government travel orders had already been used? They might have had to drive for a week and pay for gas, too.”

Fisher believes such families have sacrificed enough, especially since 9/11. Since taking over the foundation, he’s worked with DoD and VA to learn where needs are greatest, doubling the number of Fisher Houses to 64.

Zachary Fisher, a real estate developer and one of only two Americans to be named an honorary veteran, built the first two Fisher Houses in 1990. He died in 1999, but his family — chiefly Ken, his grandnephew — has expanded the Fisher legacy.

A senior partner at Fisher Brothers, Ken oversees the leasing, management and marketing of 5 million square feet of Class A commercial space in midtown Manhattan.

He is co-chairman of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, and in 2007 he served on the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors.

In August he spoke at The American Legion’s national convention in Charlotte, NC The American Legion Magazine spoke 16

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with Fisher about the charity’s growth at home and abroad, why the Fisher House program works, and its effort to cover military death benefits during last year’s partial government shutdown.

The Fisher House concept is 25 years old.

How did its network of comfort homes begin? The Fisher family’s involvement with the military and the philanthropy that we do started with USS Intrepid. It was brought to my uncle’s attention that after so many years of service the ship was essentially going to be sold as scrap metal.

Zach found out and said it was a piece of history and should be preserved. So he worked with the Navy and a few wellconnected people and was able to save it from the scrapheap. It was brought to New York around 1981 and became not only a centerpiece honoring the military but the catalyst behind the West Side revival.

A lot of big names were helping him, but Zach was the one who provided the seed money. It was his determination and drive that really made it possible. He wanted to do more for the military. So he made a phone call to Pauline Trost, who was married to Admiral Carlisle Trost, then the chief of naval operations. She would go to Bethesda from time to time to see troops in that hospital and noticed that families would come into the lobby with tons of luggage, no place to put it, no place to go. She told Zach that he should consider something along the lines of building housing for families to stay in if their loved ones are hospitalized. He thought that was an incredible idea and, in typical Zach Fisher form, reached into his pocket and built the first four Fisher Houses — first at Bethesda, shortly after that Walter Reed, the one at Brooke Army Medical Center and then one at Joint Base LewisMcChord.

Now, Zach had to work with the government in terms of how this was going

to be done. But his only condition was that there had to be no charge. Then the need started to grow. Everybody wanted a Fisher House. It became like a badge of honor. So they formed the foundation, and it became the seed of the big tree that Fisher House is today.

With 64 houses now in operation, what goes into the decision to build a new one?

We don’t just build a house in a place just because we have the money. We work with the surgeons general, we work with VA. They tell us where they think the needs are going to be the greatest, and that’s where we go.

This was probably one of the first working partnerships between the government and the private sector. The government gives the land to us and we build the house using our skill set, which is construction and development. Zach built them, then donated them to whichever branch of the military they served. They in turn would agree to operate, staff and maintain the houses in perpetuity. Once the houses were done we were able to move on to the next project, the next community, the next need, and not have to worry about fundraising for the maintenance.

It would have been a constant effort, and we wouldn’t have nearly the impact we have today.

We picked our lane using our skill set, took an unmet need and were able to engineer this partnership. In 21 years, our mission has not changed. One, we do what we do and we do it well. Two, we don’t waste money. We are not a foundation that tries to be all things to all people. There will be a few stray missions, but essentially that is it.

Fisher House is beautiful in its simplicity.

To read the rest of The American Legion’s interview with Ken Fisher, visit http://www.legion.org/magazine/223486/ serve-those-who-served.

THE WORLD'S FIRST

Last year when Prince Harry attended the Warrior Games, he saw the amazing impact adaptive sports had on the recovery for not only wounded warriors, but for their families as well. As a result of his experience, he started the inaugural Invictus Games in London, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and ill service men and women.

Thirteen countries participated in the games, which were held from September 10-14 in London. Fisher House Foundation was the only American sponsor and the only charity sponsor for the games. The Foundation also provided the uniforms to the US athletes, and support gear to their families in attendance.

Our Hero Miles program sent 160 family members to London to support their loved ones who were competing in the Games. During the opening ceremony, the US team proudly marched on the field carrying the American flag.

“Military service members prove every day how resilient they are," said Ken Fisher, Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. "The Invictus Games served as an incredible opportunity for these wounded, injured and ill men and women to show their families just how far they have come in the recovery process.

Not only was it great for the athletes, but it was equally important for the families to share in the fun and excitement.”

A special video message from First Lady Michelle Obama was played to the audience.

She said: "Some of the most inspiring moments I have had as First Lady are when I've met wounded warriors like so many of you."

All Photos by Jim Moore, Kerri Childress and Lisa DiGangi

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INVICTUS

Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley

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INVICTUS GAMES CLOSING CEREMONY On Sunday, September 14, the Invictus Games Closing Concert drew a crowd of 26,000 as they celebrated the inaugural wounded warrior competition in London. The closing concert, held at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, featured a headlining performance by the Foo Fighters, with sets from Kaiser Chiefs, Ellie Goulding, Ryan Adams and James Blunt, among others.

During the ceremony, each member of the USA team was presented with the Invictus Medallion

by Second Lady, Dr. Jill Biden.

The Invictus Games brought together 13 different countries for the intense competition. “At the end of the day it didn’t matter what country you were from,” said Texas Robbie Gaupp, who won gold, silver and bronze medals on the track. “We are all fighting the same battle and that battle is with ourselves — we are all winners.”

Invictus Games at a Glance 413: Total athletes 98: American athletes 93: US medals won: 28 gold, 35 silver, 20 bronze 13: Nations: Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, USA

160: Families flown by Hero Miles 9: Sports: Track and Field, Archery, Wheelchair Basketball, Road

Cycling, Indoor Rowing, Powerlifting, Wheelchair Rugby, Swimming and Sitting Volleyball

1: Experience of a lifetime

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THE PATRIOT • VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 2 • 2014

Dear Diary, Entries from Fisher House Guests House guest Within the walls of each Fisher ies containing entr with d fille nals suite are jour g words, or agin stories of a loved one, encour ds will be wor se The . just a simple thank you t room, tha in ing stay ily fam t read by the nex we share e, Her e. for them to find peace and hop ilies. fam our by tten a few of these words, wri le my son, a I stayed at the Fisher House whi treatment. ived rece ran, Vete C disabled USM dly staff frien t We were greeted by the mos comed. wel t mos feel us ing immediately mak utiful bea e thes The hospitality was superb in ered low ts men nge arra The s. accommodation the May . visit our ing cern con iety the anx and most services which are unexpected le to the ilab ava be to e tinu con ed welcom e. The com to rs yea family of veterans for programs the of one ome bec will se Fisher Hou e who ryon eve s Bles that we will support. God se.

Hou er Fish the ts por sup works at and

diabetic (and My husband, a heart patient and litis in his left cellu ted trac Vietnam veteran), con for three lized pita hos n bee had He . leg and foot we But ics. biot anti weeks in Ohio, receiving 16 hours e drov He ida.

Flor to e hom wanted to go his ing arriv e onc on Tuesday to get home but pital hos the to t wen He . llen swo leg was terribly is ge llen cha The . and was immediately admitted d ban hus my with be I can ow I'm legally blind...h g win allo for se Hou every day? Thank you Fisher and oter sco my take me to stay here!! I can day and be with walker across the street every cult to treat my diffi very n my husband. It has bee 't sure what aren tors doc the e aus husband bec I've been safe leg. his g type of bacteria is infectin er House and Fish the at here le whi and protected ced. Lord redu n bee worries for my husband have se!

Hou bless you Fisher

Lord bless you Fisher House!

A Proud Supporter,

A Proud Mama of a US Marine!!

Ooh Rah !!!

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BREWERS MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS EXCERPTED FROM GUY MORSE REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION

Cecelia Gore has been the Executive Director of the Brewers Community Foundation since 2009, which she describes as the “charitable arm” of the Milwaukee Brewers. As a lifetime Wisconsin resident, she graduated from Messmer High School and earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree at Alverno College. Being a resident of the Milwaukee area for so long certainly aided in her understanding of the community, and the Brewers Community Foundation has given her the proper outlet to help organizations in need.

“In the winter of 2009, I led the rebranding efforts and created several new programs to strengthen the Brewers’ charitable initiatives throughout the area,” she said. “Our funding efforts support quality non-profits in the areas of health, education, recreation and basic needs.”

In 2012, Gore and the Brewers Community Foundation agreed to include Fisher House Wisconsin in their list of supported organizations by donating proceeds from the annual 5k Famous Racing Sausages Run/Walk.

“We recently made a decision to add a fundraising component to the race and wanted to identify an organization that we were confident about having a tremendous impact,” Gore said. “Fisher House was a perfect match, and our neighbor!”

Proceeds from the event led to a $100,000 donation in 2012 and another $75,000 in 2013. Gore also revealed that the Brewers Community Foundation will once again donate proceeds from this year’s race to Fisher House Wisconsin.

The Fisher House thanks Cecelia, the Brewers Community Foundation and the Milwaukee Brewers organization for their past, present and future support.

Fisher House Wisconsin could not ask for a better neighbor.

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THROWING OUT THE FIRST PITCH Part of the Brewers Community Foundation includes supporting the Fisher House under construction at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center.

Ken Fisher was invited to throw out the first pitch at a recent baseball game.

Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers All-Star catcher, and generous supporter of Fisher House, was his battery mate and caught the strike.

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st

VA Palo Alto Health Care System Fisher House Photo by Curt Campbell

DAY IN THE

LIFE 2014 PHOTO CONTEST

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VA Palo Alto Health Care System Fisher House Photo by Curt Campbell

Through our annual photo contest, we share a glimpse into what happens within the walls of the Fisher House — the compassion that is given to military families going through a difficult time in their life. The contest helps capture the mission, spirit and love inside a Fisher House. Here are some of the photos and winners from this year. Enjoy!

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Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center Fisher House Photo by Nancy McKnew

If you have a special memory or high quality photo you’d like to share with the Foundation, please send it to us at info@fisherhouse.org!

Manager’s Choice

VA North Texas Health Care System Fisher House Photo by Bruce Morris

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Meet the Manager The Patriot introduces a new feature to our magazine — Meet the Manager! Fisher House Foundation is privileged to have amazing leadership at each Fisher House location. Our managers do a wonderful job of taking care of the families that call Fisher House a home away from home.

Larry Vetter, Keesler AFB Fisher House Keesler AFB Fisher House manager Larry Vetter has been with the program for nearly 16 years after retiring from the Navy in 1997. He keeps their 8-room home immaculate, and is known to whip up a gourmet dinner or two in the home’s kitchen for his guests to enjoy — and rave about.

“My favorite meal to cook is meatloaf,” said Larry. “We’re having pork loin tonight though. I use a rub, let it set all day and then cook it in the oven. If you go hungry here, it’s your own fault.”

The cozy home makes sure there is a meal done each night, even if it’s not Larry cooking every night. They have groups come in frequently to provide for the military families. “ You’re here to take care of people — to help them.”

– Larry Vetter

Larry and the community make sure that their special guests are always taken care of.

We thank Larry for being just one of our thoughtful and dedicated managers!

ROO RIDES Fisher House Foundation once again partnered with Kangaroo Express, one of the leading convenience store chains for the southeastern US, for their 2014 Salute Our Troops campaign, supporting service men and women and their families. Their summer long initiative featured motorcycle charity rides, “ROO Rides,” that stopped at Kangaroo Express locations, parks, memorials, and more, to drive hometown support to recognize military heroes. For more information on this year’s event, visit www.KESalute.com.

THANK YOU to the Kangaroo Express employees and customers for supporting military families.

Your support has raised nearly $1 million to build a new Fisher House at Ft. Bragg.

We are greatful for our 2014 partnership!

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Charity Softball Game at Citi Field New York Mets baseball legends John Franco and Dwight “Doc” Gooden joined Citi and members from the Wounded Warriors Amputee Softball Team for a special charity softball game at Citi Field that raised over $25,000 to benefit Fisher House Foundation. Thanks to Citi, the Mets, and everyone who participated in the amazing day!

Ballpark Voyage for Veterans Andrew Samonsky and his father, Chuck Samonsky, set out earlier this summer to fulfill an ultimate “bucket list” dream — to visit and see a game at every major league baseball stadium.

Andrew and Chuck wanted to do something positive while they experienced their 67 day, 15,000 mile, 30 ballpark baseball fantasy. They heard about Fisher House Foundation and immediately knew what that something positive would be. Chuck is a US Army veteran who spent 18 months in hospitals recovering from wounds he suffered on his last day in a combat zone in Vietnam.

Chuck’s wife, Susan, was a flight attendant who was able to get his bedside, but often slept in waiting rooms and airport lounges. Knowing how much a Fisher House would have meant to his family made it an easy decision to turn their baseball odyssey into a fundraiser for Fisher House.

Their video announcing their effort became a Foundation favorite, visit our YouTube page to see the video!

Mets’ Fans Support Fisher House

A League of Their Own and Coming Home for Fisher House Foundation There's “no crying in baseball,” but there are pledges of support and donations for every run scored by the DC Thunder and the other teams of the Eastern Women’s Baseball Conference. During the Diamond Classic, an international, ladies, fast-pitch baseball tournament played over Memorial Day weekend, 12 teams from around the country and Canada raised funds and awareness with their “Coming Home for Fisher House” initiative.

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A Tribute to Nicole Marie Archer Ashe Each Fisher House we build is gifted to the military or VA fully furnished — thoughtfully filled with beautiful furniture and unique photographs and artwork. Much of the artwork you see inside a Fisher House was completed by Nicole Ashe, a talented artist whose work helped make each house a home. Unfortunately, Nicole recently passed away, but we consider it a privilege and an honor to have her work displayed in our homes. Here, we share a message about Nicole’s inspiration from her husband, Daniel.

"Nicole was deeply committed to honor the Fisher House Foundation's vision of healing through the love of family and in the creation of sanctuary to allow healing to begin. She spoke often that beauty can balance hardship and that art can calm the churning waters of stress. Nicole was tremendously moved by the stories of so many military families whose world is traumatized by the injury of a loved one and the overwhelming stress of being far away from the comfort of home. She passionately believed that if any person found quiet moments of beauty and contemplation in her art or within the space in which it was displayed, then her art served a meaningful purpose. She embraced this relationship with every painting she produced and recognized that there is no greater gift to an artist — to create meaningful works of art that offer beauty in the world."

Houston Fisher House

Salt Lake City Fisher House

10thth ANNIVERSARY

50,000 TICKETS BOOKED

A MILESTONE FOR HERO MILES Fisher House Foundation’s Hero Miles program has reached a huge milestone in supporting our service members and their families. In the program’s 10th year, we have booked our 50,000th ticket. That means over 50,000 airline tickets have made it possible for a wounded, injured or ill service member to have a loved one by their side during their recovery. The Hero Miles program would not exist without the support of the generous public, donating their unused award miles. For more information on how to donate, please visit www.fisherhouse.org.

To see what other projects Hero Miles has supported, please see our Invictus Games coverage beginning on page 17.

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Why

for IRun Team Fisher House

BY STEPHANIE RUZICKA

THE STORY OF THE TEAM FISHER HOUSE “ANGELS SASH RUNNER” I first learned of Fisher House Foundation and Team Fisher House in 2011 from a fellow member of Soldier’s Race Team, James Armstrong. Knowing how strong my love was for those who sacrificed for our country, James told me of all the wonderful things Fisher House does for soldiers, veterans and their families. After reading more about the Foundation and Team Fisher House missions, I decided to join the team at the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon.

I was amazed at the wonderful support I received from Team Fisher House before, during, and after the marathon.

I remember waking up the morning of the race and finding my hotel door decorated with streamers and a certificate thanking ME for running for THEM. I thought it ironic they were thanking me when they were doing all the work.

The entire race weekend experience was so moving and inspirational.

I ran wearing a laminated list of the names of SSG Minnick’s friends who were killed during his 20 years of service in the Army as an infantryman…I called them my “angels.” During the race, fellow runners asked about the list, which gave me the chance to share their stories. I also met many others running the 26.2 mile course in honor of loved ones who died serving our country.

At the end of the race, “the hill,” I was so emotionally and physically drained. The Team Fisher House coach and program assistant, Stacy Toner, stood right by me and walked me up to the finish line. I was crying, overjoyed that I finished the race, and overjoyed by the love I received from Fisher House and the people I met along the way. The “angels” I carried on my back protected my legs and I finished! I knew after crossing the line I would be back to run with Fisher House the following year.

Photos courtesy of Stephanine Ruzicka

they leave me their name, rank and picture, promising to wear it proudly through the race. I received several names and pictures and made each into a laminated card that I wore as a sash during the race. That sash grew more in 2013, encompassing my entire back. I find it brings me strength when running, but most importantly it honors these brave men and women and their families and reminds us of the sacrifices they made and make every day. Although sad the sash has grown, it is a great way to remember them. www.teamfisherhouse.org

For the 2012 race, I added more “angels.” I put a post on my Facebook page to all my friends asking if they knew someone who was killed serving, who had died as a result of serving, or who served and is since gone. I asked that

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HOUSE ROUND-UP The Patriot always loves to check in and see what our Fisher Houses have been up to.

Here we outline a few highlights from houses around the world.

ALASKA

JBER HOSPITAL

DAVID GRANT USAF MEDICAL CENTER

Elmendorf AFB, AK

Travis AFB, CA

If you’re a resident of the Alaska Fisher House, you may see a unique visitor to their home. A black bear is a regular visitor to the Fisher House. His most recent adventure took him to the strawberry patch for a little snack.

The David Grant Medical Center Spouses Group, at Travis AFB, organized a golf tournament to raise money to help build Travis Fisher House II. Thanks to their coordination, the tournament was held at Chardonnay Golf Course, a beautiful course in Napa. Even though it poured down rain all day, the golfers were so thrilled to support the Travis Fisher House that they played the tournament in the drenching rain anyway and managed to have a great time. The tournament was a success, raising over $29,000 for the Fisher House. The Spouses Group has already started planning a tournament for next year to support the operating costs of the Travis Fisher Houses.

CALIFORNIA

SAN DIEGO NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER San Diego, CA Navy Seabees from Amphibious Construction Battalion One spent a day using their skills to give back to the Fisher House families. The house received some TLC with cleaning and repainting, as well as dismantling and removing old playground equipment to make way for new.

Equipment Operator First Class Travis Moore preps the house front door for a fresh coat of paint.

A huge thank you to all veteran service organizations for your support of the Fisher House program. We have received such generous support throughout the nation and we thank them for continuing to have an impact on military families!

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Photo by Jim Spellman / 60 AMW Public Affairs Office

COLORADO

VA EASTERN COLORADO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM Aurora, CO Denver Fisher House’s community fundraiser, Melanie Starkman spent time with retired Air Force First Sergeant Henry ‘Hank’ Cornellisson. Sgt. Cornellisson was stationed in the Philippines during WWII. On May 10, 1942, Sgt. Cornellisson was captured by the Japanese in Malay Bay. In October and November of 1942 he spent 33 days aboard the hell ship Tottori Maru in transit to Mitsui Camp, Japan.

Sgt. Cornellisson spent the next 3 1/2 years in POW camps, and the next 50 years with undiagnosed PTSD. He was finally diagnosed in 1995 and received treatment. Sgt. Cornellisson has written his memoir, "Hank, A Life Well Lived," and is donating the proceeds from the sale of his book to the Denver Fisher House Foundation.

D E L AWA R E

GEORGIA

FISHER HOUSE FOR FAMILIES OF THE FALLEN

CHARLIE NORWOOD VA MEDICAL CENTER

Dover AFB, DE

Augusta, GA

Prayer Shawls for Fallen Soldiers is a group that provides shawls for families staying at the Dover Fisher House to observe the dignified transfer of a loved one. Their gifts provide gentle support to the special guests at this home.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Georgia’s Music Hall of Fame Band, “George Croft and the Vellotones,” performed a free concert for Fisher House families, visitors, VA patients and staff in the VA second floor courtyard. They performed a variety of tunes including rock, oldies, beach music and blues.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

WASHINGTON DC VA MEDICAL CENTER Washington, DC DC VA Fisher House manager Stacey Childs was recently one of two DC VA employees honored for their dedication to veterans at the hospital’s 11th annual awards ceremony. This event celebrated those in the community who make a difference in the lives of veterans and their families. Stacey was awarded the “Rehabilitation Award of the Year.”

F LO R I DA

EGLIN AIR FORCE HOSPITAL Eglin AFB, FL The Eglin Fisher House recently added a beautification project in the back of the facility. A brick paved patio and walkway was constructed to provide physically disabled guests an access path to the gazebo. Also, two grills were moved closer to the existing patio for guests' ease of use. Since the new addition, guests and visitors have had nothing but positive feedback. The latest addition adds not only practicality but is also aesthetically pleasing, making the grounds more beautiful and inviting for future families.

THE NORTH FLORIDA/ SOUTH GEORGIA VHS FISHER HOUSE Gainesville, FL The North Florida/South Georgia VHS Fisher House at the Gainesville VA Medical Center was excited to have opened their doors to guests on Monday, July 7. The Fisher House was pleased to welcome Mrs. Patricia Otis-Miller and Mrs. Karolyn Sutherland as the first guests on the same day. They were both very appreciative that the Fisher House was open, as it allowed them the opportunity to be very close to their veteran and eased their mind about having to find somewhere to stay.

JAMES A. HALEY VETERANS’ HOSPITAL Tampa, FL The Tampa house is undergoing renovations to freshen it up and ensure a comfortable setting for our families.

During that time, 20 families a night were lodged by the VA at an area hotel very close to the hospital which also provided on-site handicap accessible transportation. To continue to show support, the community generously hosted a monthly meal and guests were showered with a variety of helpful gifts, to include gift cards to major stores and national chain restaurants. After receiving one such gift, a family member wrote “The gift card I received was a complete surprise and I cried happy tears! That was such a kindness.”

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER ARMY MEDICAL CENTER Fort Gordon, GA Boy Scout Troop 122 completed their Eagle Scout Project at the Fort Gordon Fisher House. The group assembled six concrete tables and laid some pavers at the house. Two of the concrete picnic tables were configured for wheelchair accessibility. Thanks to the scouts for your support.

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ILLINOIS

HINES VA HOSPITAL Hines, IL

SUPER BOWL XLVIII CHAMPIONS

THE LOMBARDI TROPHY Photo by Puget Sound FH Manager, Michelle Power

COMES TO PUGET SOUND FISHER HOUSE

Hines Fisher House guest Shirley Armstrong, and her husband, veteran Will Armstrong, renewed their wedding vows in the hospital chapel on July 7, 2014 exactly seven years after they were married. When they were first married they promised each other to renew their vows every seven years. They weren’t sure if it would happen this year, but the other guests at Hines Fisher House and the staff on the hospital unit rallied together to make the day happen. Fisher House guests made a bridal bouquet, boutonniere, put together wedding music and acted as a maid of honor.

The bride and groom were thrilled and so appreciative of everyone’s efforts. This will always be a day that they will remember.

Puget Sound acting manager Michelle Power with Seahawks Jesse Williams.

KENTUCKY

When the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl they proved to the world that they are champions. Every day at VA Puget Sound Fisher House we see the heart of champions as we watch family members putting their lives on hold while they support their ill or injured patients. They don't get trophies or parades, but they do demonstrate what it means to put others first and remain courageous in the midst of uncertainty.

Phyllis Sappenfield was a guest at the VA Puget Sound Fisher House several times while her husband, Jack, underwent surgeries and treatments for cancer.

Despite the immense challenges of her husband's illness, Phyllis always had a smile on her face and a warm, loving heart big enough to offer caring and support to others despite her cares. So when a family friend arranged for some Seahawk players to visit Jack in the hospital, Phyllis insisted that they visit other patients and that they start their tour at the Fisher House. On Friday, April 18, linebacker Mike Morgan and defensive lineman Jesse Williams arrived with some team trainers and the Lombardi Trophy. The excitement of the guests was palpable but it went through the roof when they let folks hold the trophy! Sadly, Jack passed away at the end of May, but his family will always remember his joy and excitement during that special Seahawks visit.

During their championship season the Seahawks brought Seattle together in a truly remarkable way. By sharing the Super Bowl trophy with patients and families, they gave everyone the opportunity to feel like the champions too.

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BLANCHFIELD ARMY COMMUNITY Fort Campbell, KY The Christian County Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee began hosting lunches at the Fort Campbell Fisher House once a month, in conjunction with the Association of the US Army.

Thank you to both groups for supporting military families each month.

MARYLAND

MALCOLM GROW MEDICAL CENTER Andrews AFB, MD MSgt DeVon Uzzelle, USAF(Ret) placed an engraved paver in the memorial garden at Fisher House, Joint Base Andrews, in memory of his father. MSgt Uzzelle stayed at Fisher House for six weeks after his father suffered a stroke. Mr. Herbert Uzzelle, a US Air Force veteran, passed away in May, but the paver serves as a tribute to a veteran and a family who put service before self.

WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER

ST. LOUIS VA MEDICAL CENTER

Bethesda, MD

St. Louis, MO

On June 21st the Employees of Bethesda Home Depot and EMC, a software firm, along with members of the White House Fellows, came out to help rebuild the roofs to the storage sheds and the BBQ shelter. Some of the volunteers from EMC and Home Depot were also veterans. The group spent the rainy day repairing the roofs, with all the materials being donated by Home Depot.

The St. Louis Fisher House aids many military families. And while a thank you isn’t necessary, the manager recently received a lovely note of appreciation. Here’s an excerpt of thanks from a former guest.

MISSOURI

“It truly seems that a design greater than man has hand-picked and specifically gifted the staff to answer the call of meeting the needs of the guests with genuine care and concern. To merely say ‘Thank You’ seems so insignificant. It is with much gratitude, that I say, ‘I truly thank God for Fisher House in Saint Louis, Missouri which is housed on the Jefferson Barracks VA Campus. A special thanks to the Fishers and their family who envisioned this blessing and could never know just how many lives they would so richly touch.’”

N E W YO R K

ALBANY FISHER HOUSE WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER Forest Glen, MD New furniture, artwork and more were moved into the Forest Glen Fisher House, courtesy of Bassett Furniture.

The upgrade was something Bassett Furniture was happy to do as a way of supporting military families getting treatment far from home. Thank you Bassett for the support.

M I N N E S O TA

Albany, NY Michael Fitzpatrick, the new Manager of the Albany Fisher House, would like to thank all of the volunteers, guests, Stratton VAMC staff and Fisher House Foundation personnel who have assisted in making his transition a smooth one. It is truly this spirit of teamwork and togetherness which allows us to succeed in our mission. Many hands have participated in performing daily tasks as well as larger scale projects and initiatives thus providing a valuable orientation. Your efforts do not go unnoticed and as our “original” VA Fisher House moves past its 20th year we will continue to work together to provide the highest level of service and comfort to our veterans and their families.

MINNEAPOLIS VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM Minneapolis, MN The Minneapolis Fisher House was the recipient of 16 new mattress sets that were donated by Cargill Corporation.

Thank you for the generous contribution!

MISSISSIPPI

KEESLER AFB HOSPITAL Keesler AFB, MS Country singer Jamie Tate has visited several Fisher Houses, stopping by to say hello to guest families and do a performance.

She visited the Keesler Fisher House in March. Thank you Jamie for supporting Fisher House.

GREATFUL NATION BLANKET Pendleton Woolen Mills has been supporting Fisher House since 2006, donating nearly $100,000 to support military families since then, with the sale of their “grateful nation blanket.” Each colored stripe in the blanket represents a service ribbon awarded to veterans of historical conflicts. Centered on the blanket is a representation of stars and stripes. From the sale of each blanket goes a donation to Fisher House Foundation. Thank you for supporting Fisher House and military families for the past eight years.

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HOUSE ROUND-UP NORTH CAROLINA

CAMP LEJEUNE NAVAL HOSPITAL Camp Lejeune, NC The Great American Cookie created a super cookie that was nearly eight feet by six feet. The giant cookie was sold in pieces one Saturday to benefit the Camp Lejeune Fisher House. The cookie was made from 432 slices and took two days to bake and three hours with three artists working at once to frost.

WOMACK ARMY MEDICAL CENTER Fort Bragg, NC A groundbreaking ceremony was held at Fort Bragg in anticipation of their new home. This Fisher House will be a 12-suite facility located on the Womack grounds.

OHIO

WRIGHT-PATTERSON MEDICAL CENTER Wright-Patterson AFB, OH Fisher House volunteer Dede Richardson approached the Wright-Patterson house with an idea of starting a monthly crafting afternoon for guests. Within weeks, Dede hosted the first craft afternoon in the Fisher House dining room, which has since turned into a regular event that is a hit with military families. The craft afternoon consists of a minimum of three craft stations for guests to enjoy, always making sure the craft is ideal for the age and ability level of all guests.

Each craft ties in with the season or house event, so the items can be used for table decorations or around the house. Patriotic wreaths were recently made to add a nice welcome touch to the front doors. This event provides a nice venue for the guests to craft, relax and enjoy visiting with other guests.

P E N N S Y LVA N I A

VA PITTSBURGH HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Pittsburgh, PA Research Scientists Dr. Lauren Broyles and Jennifer Jenkins of VA Pittsburgh's Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion were discussing Broyles' meeting with the owner of Serenity Farm in Tarentum, PA. The owner wanted to donate produce from his garden to local food pantries in exchange for volunteer garden helpers. Broyles, who has experience volunteering in food pantries and community gardens, wanted to have her colleagues help care for the garden and harvest vegetables. But Broyles also needed someone to donate the food to. Jenkins' idea was to combine the garden project with her own community service idea for their co-workers in VA Pittsburgh's Research Office Building — cook a homemade meal for guests of the Fisher House. The Farm-to-Table project, half-jokingly referred to as the "Hearts and Spades Project," was born. Broyles approached Fisher House Manager at the Pittsburgh Fisher House and on June 16, eight volunteers from the Center and other research centers at VA Pittsburgh prepared a dinner of make-your-own Mexican pizzas, Mexican potatoes, watermelon, and cookies for the guests of Fisher House.

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THE PATRIOT • VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 2 • 2014

CARL R. DARNALL ARMY MEDICAL CENTER Fort Hood, TX

TENNESSEE

TENNESSEE VALLEY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Murfreesboro, TN A group of 23 folks rode motorcycles to the Tennessee Fisher House to make a donation in honor of SSG Seth Ricketts, the fallen soldier son of Mr. Bill Rickets of Corinth MS. The group made their way to the Tennessee Fisher House for a tour and presentation of the donation.

TEXAS

VA NORTH TEXAS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Dallas, TX The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation recently donated funds to the Dallas Fisher House to create a state-of-the-art theater room.

Fisher House guests have enjoyed viewing the latest movies in the 3D television, while relaxing in their leather chairs, with popcorn machine close by.

After the success of the Tripler Fisher House’s 5K Run, Walk or Roll, the Fort Hood and Fort Campbell Fisher Houses have decided to host the event as well.

Both events will be held on November 1.

Each location will feature a 5K Run, Walk or Roll that will lead the participants along a path of donated boots that each have a picture of a fallen service member who have died in combat since 9/11.

Currently, this display will host almost 7,000 boots. Interested participants can contact the Fisher House at Fort Hood for more information and the Survivor Outreach Service at Fort Campbell. Each event is organized and executed through the support of the community. Hundreds of volunteers put in countless hours to prepare these boots and after the run the boots will be arranged in a display where people can go through and find their loved ones and battle buddies. The pictures are color coded by year so they can find them easily.

VIRGINIA

NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER, PORTSMOUTH Portsmouth, VA

WA S H I N G T O N

MADIGAN ARMY MEDICAL CENTER Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA Branden Hiatt, a retired sergeant first class, and information technology student at the University of Washington, Tacoma, used a class project to contribute to the JBLM Fisher House. He and five classmates met with the Fisher House manager to determine what she needed and decided to make a new userfriendly website, including some internal programs to help their referral system.

The new system will be complete in October and will be a huge help to their home.

UNITED KINGDOM

QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL BIRMINGHAM Birmingham, UK The UK Fisher House recently celebrated their first birthday, with a barbeque for guests and supporters. In their first year open, the Birmingham home provided over 5,000 nights of lodging for military families. Throughout the day, they also had a BBC documentary crew at the home, as well as two news crews documenting the special day.

The Salty Dawgs Motorcycle Riding club held its annual Poker Run and raised over $10,000 in support of the Fisher House Portsmouth. This was the 8th Annual run and was quite a success.

There were several other bike riding clubs that rode in the parade of bikes to make this event memorable. The event included door prizes, charity auction, and a bike show. Some of the categories were Best in Show, Best Bagger, Best Metric, Best Classic and Best Custom Bike. Thank you, Salty Dawgs, for your continued support of the Fisher House Portsmouth.

We would like to congratulate Isaac Howard and Dan Hersrud on their retirement.

Both men have contributed to the success of the Fisher House program and we wish them well. Isaac was our manager at the Fort Hood Fisher House; and Dan was the program director for the Army Fisher Houses. Thank you both for your service!

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DEDICATING TWO NEW FISHER HOUSES:

GAINESVILLE AND TRAVIS AFB Fisher House Foundation completed houses 63 and 64, which were dedicated in Gainesville, FL and at Travis Air Force Base, CA, earlier this year. The Gainesville Fisher House is the first at the North Florida/ South Georgia Veterans Health System, a home that will offer lodging for 20 families each night.

Travis AFB opened their second Fisher House at the base, which provides lodging for 16 more families each night. Their first Fisher House was opened in 1994 and has had a lengthy waiting list for over four years.

Listeners of Armstrong & Getty

Gainesville, FL

Helping to dedicate the newest Travis Fisher House were longtime friends and supporters of the program, Armstrong & Getty. The popular radio host duo have been helping raise funds and awareness for Fisher House since 2001, and have raised a total of $1.25 million through their listeners. In honor of their efforts, they were presented with a memorabilia coin by Foundation president David Coker.

Weinberg Foundation

Travis AFB, CA

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THE PATRIOT • VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 2 • 2014

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc. has a mission of supporting financially disadvantaged individuals and families by providing grants to direct service organizations.

They are one of the largest private foundations in the US; focusing on providing support to organizations that meet basic needs such as shelter, nutrition, health, and socialization. Since 2011, the Weinberg Foundation has been a wonderful partner to Fisher House Foundation, providing over $3 million in support of the Fisher House program. They have helped build and/or support Fisher Houses at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD; Fort Belvoir, VA; Murfreesboro, TN; Gainesville, FL; and Travis AFB, CA. Thank you for your support of our military families!

FUTURE FISHER HOUSES

IN ACTION West Haven, CT Shop Rite Stores, long-time supporters of Fisher House Connecticut, have once again supported local efforts to bring a Fisher House to the West Haven VA Medical Center with their “Shop Rite Initiative 2014”. With the help of owner, Harry Garafalo, his five shoreline Shop Rite Stores raised over $90,000 for the construction of Fisher House CT. Almost 100 volunteers and store employees manned booths inside the stores from Memorial Day to Fourth of July, spreading word about Fisher House and supporting local communities.

NH Small Town with a Big Heart

Founded as one of the original New Hampshire townships almost four centuries ago, the town of Hampton lies on New Hampshire’s brief coastline between Massachusetts and Maine. Hampton’s 15,000 citizens benefit from the summer tourists who seek out Hampton’s beaches, cottages, shops and restaurants in the warmer weather. But once the tourists return home, the day-to-day life and concerns of the residents are the same as any small town across the country. Every municipality wants to address the needs of their own community, but what makes Hampton special is what they elected to do for those outside their community.

Who could be more familiar with Hampton’s community’s needs than Richard Ballou, a retired fireman, and Victor Demarco, a retired policeman?

Their decades of community service and interaction with the local government made them intimately familiar with the wants and welfare of their friends and neighbors. But as two Vietnam-era veterans, they were also intimately familiar with the price others from places far beyond Hampton have paid to ensure that same welfare.

Richard and Victor felt strongly about helping our service members and their families. They began discussing what they could do, and started researching nonprofits that support military members.

After some inquiries, web searches and phone calls, they liked what they had learned about Fisher House Foundation.

Richard contacted the Foundation, and mentioned that he and a few others wanted to champion a proposal to their town council to make a contribution from the city of Hampton to Fisher House. To help ensure support, he asked the Foundation if Hampton’s contribution could remain in New England, and once he received reassurance that their contribution could be dedicated towards the future Fisher House planned for the VA Medical Center in West Haven, Connecticut, Richard and Victor took action.

In February of 2014, at the Annual Town Forum, Victor and Richard submitted a petition for the Town of Hampton to “raise and appropriate $25,000 dollars as a donation to the Fisher House Foundation, Inc.” Fisher House Foundation is blessed to get contributions from all over the country. What makes Hampton's donation fairly unique, though, is that most towns' donations come through events and fundraisers organized by local groups, not through an appropriation vetted and authorized by a municipality's tax base.

In April, Fisher House Vice President for Operations, Brian Gawne, visited Hampton to meet Victor and Richard, and accept a ceremonial check at City Hall.

"It's something that makes us take notice," said Gawne. "This is a 'Norman Rockwell' moment. This is a 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' moment. A small town like this has its own issues in its community, but the people still think about helping the service members and their families. It's just symbolic of this nation as a whole... This is what the country's about."

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DOWN

FISHER HOUSE DIRECTORY

RANGE Fisher House Foundation is building on its commitment to help military families

Southern Arizona VA Health Care System

Tucson, AZ

Camp Pendleton, CA

Tampa, FL (second house) Womack Army Medical Center Fort Bragg, NC VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System N. Las Vegas, NV

Naval Medical Center San Diego I, II 34800 Bob Wilson Dr. Bldg 46 San Diego, CA 92134-5000 (619) 532-9055 fax: (619) 532-5216 Manager: Kristin Palmer kristin.palmer@med.navy.mil VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System 11301 Wilshire Blvd. (10AF) Bldg 512 Los Angeles, CA 90073 (310) 268-4457 fax: (310) 268-3449 Manager: Sharon Hudson sharon.hudson4@va.gov VA Palo Alto Health Care System 3801 Miranda Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94304 (650) 493-5000 x. 60384 fax: (650) 849-1269 Manager: Betsey Striebel betsey.striebel@va.gov

Portland VA Medical Center

COLORADO

Portland, OR

VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System 1954 Quentin St. Aurora, CO 80010 (303) 399-8020 x. 2049 fax: (303) 364-4882 Manager: Tessa Levy tessa.levy@va.gov

Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center Charleston, SC Madigan Army Medical Center Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA (second house) Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center Milwaukee, WI

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Long Beach, CA James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital

Bay Pines VA Healthcare System 10000 Bay Pines Blvd.

Bay Pines, FL 33744 (727) 319-1350 fax: (727) 319-1106 Manager: Rena Graves rena.graves@va.gov

David Grant USAF Medical Center I, II 100 Bodin Circle Travis AFB, CA 94535-1804 (707) 423-7550 fax: (707) 423-7552 Manager: Charlene Hall charlene.hall.1@us.af.mil

under construction:

VA Long Beach Healthcare System

FLORIDA

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Hospital 4943 Zeamer Ave. 673 MDSS/SGS/FH Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506 (907) 222-1673 Manager: Jenny Hall jhall@akfisherhouse.org

CALIFORNIA

The following projects are currently in design or

Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton

ALASKA

THE PATRIOT • VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 2 • 2014

DELAWARE

Eglin Hospital 350 Boatner Rd. Eglin AFB, FL 32542 (850) 883-2865 Manager: Ron Gribble ronald.gribble@eglin.af.mil James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital 13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Tampa, FL 33612 (813) 910-3000 fax: (813) 910-3088 Manager: Paula Welenc paula.welenc@va.gov Malcom Randall VA Hospital 1601 SW Archer Rd (11i) Gainesville, FL 32608 (352) 376-1611 x. 4469 Manager: Tanya E. Fookes tanya.fookes@va.gov Miami VA Healthcare System 1201 NW 16th St. Miami, FL 33125 (305) 575-7260 fax: (305) 575-7261 Manager: Carolyn Soucy carolyn.soucy@va.gov West Palm Beach VA Medical Center 7305 N. Military Trail-Route 136 W. Palm Beach, FL 33410 (561) 422-5554 fax: (561) 442-8793 Manager: Shelley Prickett shelley.prickett@va.gov

GEORGIA Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center One Freedom Way Augusta, GA 30904 (706) 729-5773 Manager: Anne Arnold anne.arnold@va.gov

Fisher House for Families of the Fallen 220 Lajes St. Dover AFB, DE 19902 (302) 677-5317 Manager: TSgt. Cheryl Uylaki cheryl.uylaki@us.af.mil

Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center Fisher House Rd. - Bldg 280 Fort Gordon, GA 30905-5650 (706) 787-7100 fax: (706) 787-5106 Manager: Francisco Cruz fheamc@aol.com

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

HAWAII

Washington DC VA Medical Center 50 Irving St. NW Washington, DC 20422 (202) 745-2482 Manager: Stacey Childs stacey.childs@va.gov

Tripler Army Medical Center I, II 315 Krukowski Rd. Honolulu, HI 96819 (808) 433-1291 x. 28 fax: (808) 433-3619 Manager: Anita Clingerman anita.f.clingerman.naf@mail.mil

* Please direct all correspondence to the Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher House, along with the specific house address.

For any correspondence questions, please contact the Fisher House manager directly at the desired location.

ILLINOIS

MISSOURI

TEXAS

VIRGINIA

Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital 5000 S 5th Ave. Hines, IL 60141 (708) 202-7154 fax: (708) 202-7155 Manager: Holly Wright holly.wright@va.gov

VA St. Louis Health Care System 1 Jefferson Barracks Rd. St. Louis, MO 63125 (314) 894-6145 fax: (314) 894-6147 Manager: Vanniecia Brown Vanniecia.brown@va.gov

Brooke Army Medical Center I,II,III,IV San Antonio Military Medical Center 3623 George C. Beach Dr. Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234 (210) 916-6000 fax: (210) 916-6488 Manager: Inge Godfrey fhbamc@aol.com

Fort Belvoir Community Hospital 9201 Woodbury Rd. Ft. Belvoir, VA 22060 (703) 805-5203 Manager: Roxannamaria Calderon belvoirfisherhouse@gmail.com

KENTUCKY

NEW YORK

Blanchfield Army Community Hospital 652 Joel Dr. Fort Campbell, KY 42223 (270) 798-8330 fax: (270) 798-8804 Manager: Wendy J. Carlston wendy.j.carlston.naf@mail.mil

Stratton VA Medical Center 113 Holland Ave. Albany, NY 12208 (518) 626-6919 fax: (518) 626-5452 Manager: Michael Fitzpatrick michael.fitzpatrick3@va.gov

MARYLAND Malcolm Grow Clinics & Surgery Center 1076 West Perimeter Rd. Andrews AFB, MD 20762 (301) 981-1243 fax: (301) 981-7629 Manager: Janet Grampp janet_grampp@msn.com Walter Reed National Military Medical Center I, II, III, IV, V 24 Stokes Rd. Bethesda, MD 20814-5002 (301) 295-5334 fax: (301) 295-5632 Manager: Kenneth E. Merritt kemerritt@fisherhousebethesda.org Walter Reed – Forest Glen Annex 2460 Linden Ln. Bldg 173 Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301) 295-7374 x. 10 fax: (301) 295-8012 Manager: Maurice Borde wrfisher2a@aol.com

MASSACHUSETTS VA Boston Healthcare System 1400 VFW Pkwy.

West Roxbury, MA 02132 (857) 203-4000 Manager: Elizabeth St. Pierre elizabeth.stpierre@va.gov

MINNESOTA Minneapolis VA Health Care System I, II 1 Veterans Dr. Minneapolis, MN 55417 (612) 467-5602 fax: (612) 970-5864 Manager: Marge Oslund mary.oslund@va.gov

MISSISSIPPI Keesler Medical Center 509 Fisher St. Keesler AFB, MS 39534-2599 (228) 377-8264 fax: (228) 377-7691 Manager: Larry Vetter larry.vetter.1@us.af.mil

NORTH CAROLINA Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital 4 Recovery Way Camp Lejeune, NC 28547 (910) 450-3885 fax: (910) 450-3887 Manager: Josie Callahan josephine.f.callahan@usmc.mil Womack Army Medical Center 12 Bassett St. Fort Bragg, NC 28307-5000 (910) 432-1486 fax: (910) 432-3825 Manager: Lorie Southerland fbfisherhouse@aol.com

OHIO Cincinnati VA Medical Center 3200 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45220 (513) 475-6571 fax: (513) 487-6661 Manager: Karrie Hagan karrie.hagan@va.gov Wright-Patterson Medical Center I, II 417 Schlatter Dr. Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433 (937) 257-0855 fax: (937) 656-2150 Manager: Karen Healea karen.healea@wpafb.af.mil

PENNSYLVANIA VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive C, Bldg 33 Pittsburgh, PA 15240 (412) 360-2030 fax: (937) 656-2150 Manager: Heather Frantz heather.frantz@va.gov

Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center Bldg. 36015 Fisher Ln. Fort Hood, TX 78254 (254) 286-7927 fax: (254) 286-7929 Manager: Theresa Johnson theresa.m.johnson2.naf@mail.mil Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center I, II 2002 Holcombe Blvd.

Houston, TX 77030 (713) 794-8095 fax: (713) 794-7194 Manager: Frank Kelley frank.kelley@va.gov VA North Texas Health Care System 4500 S. Lancaster Rd. Bldg 79 Dallas, TX 75216 (214) 857-2574 fax: (214) 462-4923 Manager: Lydia Henderson lydia.henderson1@va.gov South Texas Veterans Health Care System 7485 Wurzbach Road San Antonio, Texas 78229 (210) 617-5300 x. 16626 Manager: Erik Zielinski erik.zielinski@va.gov Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center I, II, III San Antonio Military Medical Center 1445 Foster Ave. Bldg 3865 Lackland AFB, TX 78236 (210) 671-6037 fax: (210) 671-6020 Manager: Ramona Lewis rlewis-fisherhouse@sbcglobal.net William Beaumont Army Medical Center Bldg 7360 Rodriguez St. El Paso, TX 79930 (915) 569-1860 fax: (915) 569-1862 Manager: Jennifer Daugherty jennifer.e.daugherty.naf@mail.mil

UTAH TENNESSEE Tennessee Valley Healthcare System 3400 Lebanon Pike Murfreesboro, TN 37129 (615) 225-5758 Manager: Becky Wood rebecca.wood4@va.gov

VA Salt Lake City Health Care System 690 S. Valdez Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84148 (801) 588-5900 Manager: Quinn Kiger-Good quinn.kiger@va.gov

Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center 1201 Broad Rock Blvd.

Richmond, VA 23249 (804) 675-6639 fax: (804) 675-5979 Manager: Wayne Walker wayne.walker@va.gov Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth 853 Fisher Dr. Bldg 287 Portsmouth, VA 23708 (757) 953-6889 fax: (757) 953-7174 Manager: Jill Thompson jill.thompson@portsmouthfisherhouse.org

WASHINGTON Madigan Army Medical Center 9999 Wilson Ave. Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA 98433 (253) 964-9283 fax: (253) 968-3619 Manager: Jodi Land info@fisherhouse-jblm.org VA Puget Sound Healthcare System 1660 South Columbian Way Seattle, WA 98108 (206) 768-5353 fax: (206) 277-1415 Manager: Stephanie Toepp stephanie.toepp@va.gov

GERMANY Landstuhl Regional Medical Center I & II CMR 402 Box 669 APO, AE 09180 011-49-6371-6183311 fax: 011-49-6371-866679 Manager: Vivian Wilson vivian.l.wilson.naf@mail.mil

UNITED KINGDOM Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Mindelsohn Way Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham B15 2TH 0121-472-6217 fax: 0121-4130-6897 Manager: Patrick Hogan fisherhouse@uhb.nhs.uk

THE PATRIOT • VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 2 • 2014

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Fisher House Foundation, Inc. 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420 Rockville, MD 20850-5000

Because we

our heroes.

For twenty-five years, the Fisher House program has provided a “home away from home” for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. These homes provide free temporary lodging to military and veterans’ families so they can be close to their loved one during a medical crisis, allowing them to focus on what’s important — the healing process.

Due to the generosity of people like you, Fisher House Foundation is able to build and help support the operation of more than 60 existing homes, the core of our mission. Additionally, our Hero Miles program assists with travel needs, and our scholarship program offers educational opportunities to military children and spouses.

With your help, we will continue to meet the needs of our military community today, and long into the future. Show your love by making a donation to Fisher House.

To learn more, please visit www.fisherhouse.org or call (888) 294-8560.

Fisher House Foundation

CFC Code: 11453

©2014 Fisher House Foundation Creative services donated by ds+f, Washington, DC www.dsfriends.com | Photo courtesy of Craig Orsini. www.orsinistudio.com