St. Louis, Mo.—The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has provided flooring for its 47th home in support of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment). The R.I.S.E. program builds custom, specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans and first responders.
The home dedication for United States Army (Ret.) Captain Greg Galeazzi took place on Aug. 20, in Boston, Mass. Flooring for the project was donated by NWFA member Sheoga Hardwood Flooring, with receiving and delivery donated by Specialty Forest Products. Installation for the project was donated by C&R Flooring.
CPT Galeazzi was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in the summer of 2010. Quickly into his deployment, he volunteered to take over a platoon that lost its leader to a roadside bomb. In May 2011, he was heading back to base with his platoon after leading a foot patrol when he was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast resulted in the loss of both of his legs and part of this right arm.
“During his long recovery, Captain Galeazzi endured dozens of surgeries,” said Michael Martin, NWFA president and CEO, “But he refused to let his injuries define him. Today, he’s a medical student at Harvard Medical School, which is a testament to his strong will and determination. We’re honored to partner with Sheoga, Specialty Forest Products and C&R Flooring to provide flooring for his new home.”
In addition to the 47 homes already completed, NWFA currently is working with its members to source wood flooring for 11 additional R.I.S.E. homes in various stages of planning and construction. Currently, 141 NWFA member companies have donated product, logistics and installation services in locations throughout the United States, with a total value of more than $5.2 million. By the end of this year, 70 specially adapted smart homes will be completed or underway through the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program.