Valour-IT Kickoff!

Welcome to the 2008 Valour-IT Fundraiser. This will run from Veteran's Day, November 11th through Thanksgiving, November 27th.

As in the past we will be breaking up into service related teams. Although with how exhausted everyone is after the elections, we aren't really emphasizing that this year. It's more to make sure that each team reaches out to their network as much as possible.

In the next day or two we will be getting widgets up on every blog that will host one, but for now you can go here and make your donation.

Galrahn of Information Dissemination has graciously agreed to be the Navy team leader and I am his assistant/cheerleader.

Please drop me a line here or and email me BostonMaggie@Yahoo.com to let me know of any blog you think would join us.

Remember the more people who know about Valour-IT and the great work they do....the better for everyone.

Project Valour-IT
(formerly Voice-Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops)
In memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss

Project Valour-IT began when Captain Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss was wounded by an IED while serving as commander of a tank company in Iraq in June 2005.

During his deployment he kept a blog (an online personal diary, opinion forum, or news analysis site-called a milblog or military weblog when written by a servicemember or about military subjects). Captivating writing, insightful stories of his experiences, and his self-deprecating humor won him many loyal readers. After he was wounded, his wife continued his blog, keeping his readers informed of his condition.

As he began to recover, CPT Ziegenfuss wanted to return to writing his blog, but serious hand injuries hampered his typing. When a loyal and generous reader gave him a copy of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred software, other readers began to realize how important such software could be to CPT Ziegenfuss' fellow wounded soldiers and started cast about for a way to get it to them.

A fellow blogger (blog author) who writes under the pseudonym FbL contacted Captain Ziegenfuss and the two realized they shared a vision of providing laptops with voice-controlled software to wounded soldiers whose injuries prevented them from operating a standard computer. FbL contacted Soldiers Angels, who offered to help develop the project, and Project Valour-IT was born.

In sharing their thoughts, CPT Ziegenfuss (now a Major) and FbL found that memories of their respective fathers were a motivating factor in their work with the project. Both continue their association with this project in memory of the great men in their lives whose fine examples taught them lasting lessons of courage and generosity.

In the years since its founding in 2005, the project has acted to meet emerging needs and its mission of supporting the the severely wounded has expanded. In addition to voice-controlled laptops, Valour-IT now helps provide active and whole-body video games such as Wii Sports, which is used to great effect in physical therapy, and personal GPS systems that help compensate for short-term memory loss and organizational/spacial challenges common in those with brain injuries.

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So reach out to everyone you know and ask them to "give up something for the wounded". Small donations can be significant if we reach enough people. Giving up a small luxury in your life could result in $25 that can be donated to Valour-IT. If you don't blog, you could send an email out to all the same people you send crazy jokes out to.