Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation hosts Wounded Warrior Event
Wounded Soliders attend outdoor retreat

The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation (WBWF) hosted its 2nd Wounded
Warrior event in December. Many soldiers who have fought in the War on
Terror now fight another tough battle back at home. Soldiers that are
severely wounded battle physical wounds, emotional troubles,
joblessness, family tribulations, limited medical support, etc. The
WBWF has developed a program to help these Wounded Warriors.

Four wounded soldiers attended a multi-day outdoor retreat at the WBWF
Cove property. The four soldiers have all sustained severe injuries
since September 11, 2001 that include Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI),
extreme burns, loss of limbs, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The
Cove embodies a secluded 2,100+ acre site nestled in northern Halifax
County that includes more than 8 miles of river frontage on the scenic
Staunton River. The WBWF Wounded Warrior program uses Mother
Nature's natural elements to promote a positive recovery and give
the veterans the opportunity to explore their potential while trying
things they thought were impossible. The activities during this event
focused on building camaraderie and confidence and included hiking,
quail hunting, ATV trail riding, skeet shooting, and social gatherings.

These military heroes were assisted by local volunteers, and in exchange
the volunteers received an amazing lesson in resilience, perseverance,
and optimism. Leading the charge as volunteers were Ward Burton, Larry
Roller, Tom Inge, and Tom Falkland. Tom Falkland, a decorated soldier
himself, is the owner of Falkland Farms Hunting Plantation in Halifax
County, and he guided the quail hunting activity with the help of his
famous German Shorthair Pointers. Corporate sponsors included CaseNEX
which is an education consulting firm newly located in Riverstone in
South Boston, Beretta which is an international firearms manufacturer,
and EZ-Go which makes ATV golf carts supplied through Jeff
Henderson's local dealership. Many local restaurants and citizens
contributed food and drinks for the retreat. The Coalition to Salute
America's Heroes was an invaluable partner that helped identify the
soldiers in most need for this type of event and helped logistically
make the retreat possible.

One of the wounded warriors, Jorge Deleon, said "This is the best
thing that has happened to me in such a long time. Just being out in
the woods with a NASCAR driver is unbelievable!"

The WBWF has many programs geared towards the environment, but the
Wounded Warrior program is new and fits into the Foundation's goal
of connecting people to the outdoors. Ward Burton said, "Veterans
are in need of multi-day retreats that help them holistically in many
ways, and there are only a handful of organizations nationally that
provide that need. We are proud and honored to be one of those
organizations." The WBWF is planning long-term events throughout
the year with the goal of soon building more infrastructure that can
house wounded warriors and their families in order to treat the family
as a whole unit.



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