St. Louis, Mo.—The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has provided flooring for its 65th home in support of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment). The R.I.S.E. program builds mortgage-free, custom, specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans and first responders. According to the organization, the home dedication for U.S. Army Captain (Ret.) Derick Carver took place on Oct. 13, in New Braunfels, Texas and flooring for the project was donated by NWFA member AHF Products.
In January 2010, while serving in the Arghandab River Valley outside of Kandahar, Afghanistan, Carver and his unit met with local teachers and elders to discuss reopening a school that had been rigged to blow with IEDs. On their way to the school, the group was ambushed by the Taliban. Carver’s injuries included the loss of most of his right thigh, multiple fingers and his left leg.
“After multiple life-saving surgeries, Captain Carver was transported to Walter Reed Medical Center, where he spent 13 months in recovery,” said Michael Martin, president and CEO, NWFA. “While at Walter Reed, he endured nearly 50 surgeries, more than 50 blood transfusions and five plasma transfusions. Following his inpatient recovery, he returned to duty and assumed the role of AS-3 for the 4th Ranger Training Battalion. Today, he’s retired from the military, competes in athletic competitions and plans to continue his education by attending graduate school. We’re honored to partner with AHF Products to provide beautiful wood floors for his new home.”
In addition to the 65 homes already completed, NWFA said it is currently working with its members to source wood flooring for 17 additional R.I.S.E. homes in various stages of planning and construction. Currently, 143 NWFA member companies have donated product, logistics and installation services in locations throughout the United States, with a total value of more than $5.7 million, according to the organization.