Partners Donate Millions to Help Make USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda a Reality for Troops and Military Families

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USO

Mar 28, 2014, 14:30 ET


Arlington, VA (PRWEB) March 28, 2014 -- When troops and military families serving on the campus of Naval Support Activity Bethesda need a place to connect with loved ones, or to just take a break from their daily routine, the new USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda will be there to welcome them. For those who are treated at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the USO Center will serve as a getaway from hospital living where healing heroes, their families and caregivers can rest, relax and enjoy some of the comforts of home.

On April 1, 2014, the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda will open its doors because of the generous support of the American public and corporations, such as A. James Clark’s company Clark Construction Group. Mr. Clark’s company constructed the center at Bethesda and donated $6.5 million to the USO’s Operation Enduring Care, the fundraising campaign launched to fund the center at Bethesda and its sister center located on Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

“As we celebrate the opening of our new USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda and prepare to open its doors to a very special group of Americans – our wounded, ill and injured service members, their families and caregivers – we know that this remarkable facility will have a significant impact on our military community for years to come,” said John I. Pray, Jr., CEO and President of the USO. “An impact made possible because of the tremendous support of caring companies, foundations and individuals who completely understand that what we have accomplished together is so much more than a building – it is a warm and caring place where recovering troops and their loved ones will build the hope and confidence they need to sustain their individual healing journeys.”

The more than 16,000 square foot center will offer hundreds of programs focused on physical health and recreation, family strengthening, positive behavioral health, education, employment and community reintegration.

In addition to support from A. James Clark’s company, Clark Construction Group, the following companies, organizations and individuals stepped up and joined the USO’s endeavor to restore a sense of normalcy to the lives of America’s healing heroes, their families and caregivers as well as transitioning troops.

$2 MILLION GIFTS AND ABOVE

  • Northrop Grumman Foundation - Supported Operation Enduring Care with a $5 million gift
  • BNSF Railway Foundation - Presenting Sponsor of all USO Employment related initiatives with a $3 million gift, as well as the Outdoor Grill at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir
  • The Kuwait-America Foundation (KAF) - Supported Operation Enduring Care with a $2 million gift
  • National Football League - Sponsored the Sports Lounge at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda with a $2 million gift

$1 MILLION GIFTS AND ABOVE

  • The Anschutz Foundation - Supported Operation Enduring Care with a $1.85 million gift supporting both USO Warrior and Family Centers
  • The Coca-Cola Foundation & The Coca-Cola Company - Supported Operation Enduring Care with donations totaling $1.6 million
  • Johnson & Johnson - Official Healthcare Sponsor of the USO, as well as the Community Room at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda with a $1.5 million gift
  • BAE Systems - Supported Operation Enduring Care with a $1 million gift
  • Charlie Sheen - Sponsored the Studio at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda with a $1 million gift
  • JCPenney - Supported Operation Enduring Care with a $1 million gift
  • Jeep - Supported Operation Enduring Care with a $1 million gift to sponsor the Kitchen at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir and a $500k gift to sponsor the Learning Center at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda
  • Lowe’s - Supported Operation Enduring Care with a $1 million gift
  • Ambassador William and Sue Timken - Sponsored the Business Center at both USO Warrior and Family Centers at Bethesda and at Fort Belvoir with a $1 million gift
  • 21st Century Fox - Supported Operation Enduring Care with a $1 million gift

BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION DONORS

  • Advisors Excel - Supported the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda
  • BIC USA Inc. - Supported the Outdoor Grill at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda
  • Bob Woodruff Foundation - Sponsored the Healing Gardens at both USO Warrior and Family Centers at Bethesda and Fort Belvoir
  • CharityWorks - Sponsored the Welcome Area at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda
  • The Fred L. Hartley Family Foundation - Sponsored the equipment and furnishings for the Community Room at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda
  • Gerondelis Foundation/Captain Jason C. Scangas, US Army - Supported the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda
  • The Home Depot Foundation - Sponsored the Kitchen at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda, and the Roof Top Terrace at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir
  • Wagner Equipment Company - Supported the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda
  • Yokota Foundation - Sponsored the Fire Pit at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda

OPERATION ENDURING CARE DONORS

The following donors contributed to the construction of the USO Warrior and Family Center at Belvoir, the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda and/or the programs that will take place at these centers.

  • Anheuser- Busch - Supported Operation Enduring Care
  • Margaret and Sloan Gibson - Supported Operation Enduring Care
  • Newman’s Own Foundation - Supported Operation Enduring Care
  • P&G - Supported Operation Enduring Care
  • Richard S. Reynolds Foundation - Supported capital construction at Fort Belvoir, recognized in the Respite Suite at the USO Warrior and Family Center on Fort Belvoir
  • The Socrates Foundation and the Ralph R. Whitney Jr. Family - Supported Operation Enduring Care capital construction at both centers, recognized in the Fireside Lounge at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir
  • Two Grateful Texans – Supported Operation Enduring Care

With the vision and dedication of STUDIOS Architecture, Huffman Developments and Quatrefoil Inc., who respectively designed, oversaw construction and supported the landscaping and gardening at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda, this state-of-the-art facility will have a positive, lasting impact on America's recovering and returning military community.

DONOR QUOTES

Attributed to Alex Gorsky, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson, the Official Healthcare Sponsor of the USO:
“Johnson & Johnson is committed to improving the health and wellness of our veterans and their families, and we’re proud to support the USO and Operation Enduring Care. This unique facility will enable our soldiers to rehabilitate while surrounded by their loved ones. This direct support will have a very positive impact on their recovery and the health of the entire family in the long-term.”

Attributed to Charlie Sheen:
"Throughout my career I've played roles that have showcased our military heroes. In my heart I knew I needed to do more which is why I've taken action for our troops and their families. The Studio is an epic room for these heroes to use their creative spirit through music and art. I have faith that they will find new ways to express themselves as they reintegrate back home. With absolute respect and gratitude, I look forward to hearing from the men and women who have sacrificed so much doing a job so many would not."

Attributed to Kelly Caffarelli, President of The Home Depot Foundation:
“While we work towards our mission of ensuring every veteran has a safe place to call home, we are proud to support the USO in providing the comforts of home to wounded warriors and their families as they face the difficult challenge of adjusting to their new normal. We have seen how important it is for injured veterans to have a strong support network surrounding them, and how important it is to have their loved ones with them. The USO Warrior and Family Center will provide a home-like environment in a community among others facing the same challenges where veterans and their families can access services to help them achieve a smoother transition.”

To learn more about the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda and the impact it will have on our nation’s healing heroes, visit http://www.uso.org. Click here to visit the press kit, which will be updated with more photos and information when the center opens on April 1.

About the USO
The USO lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors, troops in transition and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.

In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, BNSF Railway, The Coca-Cola Company, Grand Canyon University, JCPenney, Jeep, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, Northrop Grumman Corporation and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, BIC, The Boeing Company, ConAgra Foods, FedEx, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Procter & Gamble, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG and Wawa Inc. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.

Gayle Fishel, USO, http://www.uso.org, +1 (703) 908-6433, [email protected]