The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team comes to Plant City, Florida, on Saturday, January 28, 2017 to take on the ISSA All-Stars at Plant City Stadium.
The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team™ (WWAST) is a 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to inspire and educate others while enhancing the health and welfare of Wounded Warrior Amputees. The WWAST is comprised of competitive, athletic veterans who have lost limbs while serving their country in the military/war.
The team includes individuals with a variety of amputations. Some are still in the service; others are attending college thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill while others have moved on to new careers. We now travel the country playing able-bodied teams in competitive and exhibition softball games, bringing our special brand of softball, courage and inspiration.
WWAST athletes are examples of amputees who continue to push the limits of modern prosthetics. Of course, our dream would be the return of our soldiers from harm’s way without the loss of life or limb. Until such a time, our goal is to support and honor our veterans’ sacrifices, and to show others that life without a limb is limitless.
In addition to raising funds for our softball program costs, WWAST hosts an annual Kids Camp to bring in 20 children (between 8-12 years old) with amputations for a week-long camp where team members serve as coaches and mentors. The WWAST pays all expenses for the 20 children and one guardian. The Camp this year is going to be in Northern Virginia from June 12–17, 2017. The WWAST is also committed to supporting the children of fallen veterans. A partnership with the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund will assist with the costs of college education for the children of fallen veterans.
In addition, the organization is active in raising funds that have been donated to research for Heterotopic Ossification (HO). HO is excess bone growth in soft tissues that occurs in the residual limbs of combat amputees. This malady has affected many of our players and appears in 65% of amputations resulting from a blast injury. This link below provides more information on Heterotopic ossification.
Because many of our players have spent time at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, WW also raises funds to provide equipment that may not be in the hospital budget. In the past, it has donated new equipment to update the physical therapy room. We plan on expanding these donations to other military Medical Centers.
The website, http://www.thewwast.org, provides a lot of information about the WWAST. The WWAST is also on Social Media where our fans can follow us. Supporters can “Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter @WWAmpSoftball. The WWAST is not affiliated with other charities having the words “Wounded Warrior” in their name (e.g. Wounded Warrior Project, etc.). Since our inception over 85% of our donations have supported programs helping Wounded Warrior Amputees, amputee children, and medical research.
The ISSA is working with the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team to raise funds for their programs. Specifically, the ISSA is calling on senior softball players and friends to help fund their Kids Camp Program.
The ISSA has a goal to raise the funds within the senior softball community to cover the cost of one camp.
About the ISSA: The International Senior Softball Association, founded in 1994, is headquartered in Manassas, VA and is an Allied Member of the Amateur Softball Association of America. The ISSA has become one of the Nation's leading senior softball organizations and its staff provides leadership positions nationally and internationally for the development and administration of the senior division. The ISSA Championship Series has been recognized as one of the outstanding sports series in the United States by Sports Travel Magazine and Sports Destination Management. And recently RB Thomas, Jr. was named the Outstanding Sports Event Organizer for 2014 by the National Association of Sports Commissions. For more information on the ISSA, visit www.seniorsoftball.org and/or telephone the ISSA Office at 703-368-1188.
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