Multiple Defender Mobility Donations Given Thanks to Our Members

Due to the outstanding support of our POAM members, President Tignanelli is sharing this great news with the member base to thank you for your support towards Defender Mobility donations. Read more below.

Friends,

Back in 2013, inspiration came my way from a seriously injured veteran. That inspiration put me on a mission to deliver that veteran, Nels Larsen (Skeeter), an off-road wheelchair. My goal was to deliver one every three years. I felt confident that our members, who generously donate at our Annual Convention, would help me to my goal of raising $14,000 over a three-year period. I’m ashamed (right!!!) to say I seriously underestimated the generosity of our members!!! We have delivered three chairs THIS YEAR!

In fact, over the past 7 years, we have purchased and delivered 26 off-road chairs! Our foundation, Defender Mobility, operates with no paid employees and no overhead. In short, all that we collect is used to support our wheelchair program and our annual Police Week trip to the Walter Reed Memorial Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Our mission statement was to provide freedom to those who have fought for ours. I promise that you’ve accomplished that mission!

It would be difficult to put into words the feelings that we share with these deserving veterans when they are “tossed the keys” to a Trac Fab wheelchair. Most recently, I delivered one to Milford, MI, to Dennis O’Connell. He had been hunting from the deck behind his house for years. Some of the photos I am including are of him touring his “bait pile” and hunting area in a way he had not been able to do for many, many years. His left side is paralyzed from injuries sustained while serving as an Army Ranger, senior engineer. He said his team was “the Army’s Navy!” Couldn’t believe we weren’t giving the chair to “some younger guy.”  I’ve also included some photos of James Archambeau. He was seriously injured while serving as a paratrooper in Vietnam. I’ve seen two other veterans experience fly-fishing for the first time in decades! We’ve delivered chairs to veterans nursing homes too!  All great patriots!

Thanks to each of you that support us financially or inspirationally. I am the lucky guy that gets to make the delivery, but it is all due to your generosity and kind thoughts. I cannot thank you enough. Each chair is delivered in the name of the POAM and its members around the state. Also worth noting is that every person we have met has asked me to thank YOU for protecting their families and home while they served. We are already putting together items for our May trip to Walter Reed. I think this is our 15th annual trip. Please know that you are making a difference in the lives of so many good people.

Thank you.

 

Jim Tignanelli

Related Post: POAM Donates Two Trac Fab Chairs to Veterans

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