The $595 million Member One Federal Credit Union is a lead sponsor of a run-walk event that will be an inaugural fundraiser for a new organization created to help wounded veterans in the Roanoke, Va., area.
The Blue Ridge Veterans Celebration is a Tunnel to Towers Foundation event set for Sunday, Sept. 9, at Wasena Park in Roanoke. Proceeds will be used to help build a home for triple amputee J.B. Kerns, a 22-year-old Marine wounded in Afghanistan, organizers said.
"I attended my first meeting in June in order to decide whether we would sponsor. It was over from there," said Mark Hudzik, chief development officer at the 66,000-member Member One and board president of the new organization.
He said one of Member One's SEGs – Sleep Safe Beds in Bassett, Va. – already has donated a specially designed bed worth $7,000 for Kerns.
"Learning about the challenges of soldiers returning home touched me deeply. Their dedication was the drive I needed to find a way for our communities to say thank you. I knew it was my opportunity to make sure we welcomed our returning veterans with open arms and showed how much we appreciate what they give day in and day out," Hudzik said.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation also will work to support the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program and the Military Family Support Centers of central southwest Virginia, Hudzik said.
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