A California wounded warrior and his family were treated to a Merry Christmas, thanks to the participants and sponsors of a Patriot Woodworker raffle to raise money to buy the family gifts and food.
Woodcraft is one of the sponsors for this project that allowed The Patriot Woodworker to “adopt” the Thomas Akin family from Grass Valley, California, through the Operation Ward 57 Adopt a Wounded Warrior/Gold Star Family program. Operation Ward 57 is a nonprofit organization that supports wounded, injured and ill service members, veterans and their caregivers with outreach programs.
To finance the project, The Patriot Woodworker raised $1,159 by selling raffle tickets for prizes donated by Woodcraft, Laguna and Easy Wood Tools.
Winners are: Brian McCorry, Rikon 8" Slow Speed Grinder (from Woodcraft), Kelly Churchill, Rikon 6" Buffer (from Woodcraft), Carl D. Zimmerman II, $500 Laguna Tools Gift Certificate, and Donna Jackson, Easy Wood Tools Mid-Size Trio of Tools.
Rikon 6" Buffer
The Patriot Woodworker is a woodworking community with an emphasis on sharing and learning the skilled craft of woodworking and all of its related disciplines. Although the group supports veterans and active duty military personnel both here in the United States and in Canada, being a veteran is not a prerequisite to join.
The Akin Story
While Thomas Akin was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012, he was riding in the gunner seat of a JERRV (Joint Engineering Rapid Response Vehicle) in a convoy, and the vehicle was hit by an IED almost directly under where he was sitting. His team leader was wounded in his head, resulting in a Traumatic Brain Injury, but Akin sustained the brunt of the explosion force and shrapnel.
Akin’s injuries included a broken left femur that required a rod and screws to be placed down his entire femur. His right foot and ankle were shattered, which required five surgeries, plates and screws, and eventually a below-the-knee amputation. He also fractured his tail bone, and received a head wound resulting in a Traumatic Brain Injury.
In addition to food, The Patriot Woodworker provided Christmas gifts of clothing and learning aids/toys for the Akin family that includes Thomas, his wife Jessica, and children, Amelia, two months old; Xavier, 2; and Alexander, 5.
For more information about Woodcraft, please contact the store nearest you, visit www.woodcraft.com or call (800) 535-4482.
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