This last fundraiser brought forth some great stories about creative or sacrificial giving for Valour-IT, but this one takes the cake, I think. Here's part of what recently appeared in my inbox:
I am in the PA Air National Guard and we would like to do a fund raiser for your organization during our December drill. Do you have any electronic copies of flyers or anything that we could use to inform people about Project Valour-IT? Anything you could send me would be appreciated.
Also, I am getting married in May and I would like to give a donation in the name of my guests as our wedding favor (we would give people a scroll telling them that we gave a donation in their name to Project Valour-IT). Would I just be able to send you my invitation list along with my donation?
The dedication and leadership to bring Valour-IT to the attention of her fellow guardsmen is great in itself, but it's the wedding aspect that really jumped out at me.
Weddings are almost always all about fantasy and perfection and idealistic beauty. But this couple will be interjecting the reality of the wounded into their wedding. By placing Valour-IT and its mission in front of their guests, they will be embracing the reality of war, sacrifice, and our responsibilities to those who have served. They will be honoring and including the very people who have played a sacrificial role in their ability to have a peaceful and joyous celebration of their love and their future. This is a level of maturity and lack of self-reference that is inspiring, a genuine celebration of life.
I hope my correspondent is in an official leadership position in her ANG unit, 'cause somehow I suspect she's quite good at that aspect of soldiering.
