Valour-IT notes

The Valour-IT fund raising competition is well under way! However, my widget in the sidebar is not keeping track, and I will replace it as soon as I can. *UPDATE* Widget Replaced! Total is now correct and tracking. The donations entered through the first widget were accepted and properly assigned to the teams, but the numbers were not updating. Thanks to all who have contributed! The current totals (at 8am pacific time) stand at: ARMY: $5,190 Marine Corps: $5,137 Navy/CSG: $2,350 Air Force: $3,118 Total: $15,795 What Fundraiser? Read the post below for all the fun details. Spread the word! We have a ways to go to reach our $240,000 goal!!

Go Army! Beat Navy!

It's time to focus some attention on Project Valour-IT, as we approach Veterans Day. For anyone not already familiar with the program, here is the blurb from the Project Valour-IT web site: Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled and adaptive laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field. The experience of MAJ Charles “Chuck” Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered serious hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important these laptops can be to a wounded service member's recovery. As in previous years, the fund-raising efforts are set up as a team competition, to add a little fun, and allow for some serious inter-service snarkage. Who: Bloggers of any and all stripes who support the U.S. Military What: Raising $240,000 ($60,000/team) for Project Valour-IT, the non-profit Soldiers' Angels program that helps supply voice-controlled and other adapted laptops to severely-wounded troops. Where: Starting on the blogs, then spreading through your community and into major media When: Monday, 29 October through Saturday, 11 November (Veterans Day) Why: Because reconnecting the wounded with the world is a vital part of their recovery How: Signing up for your favorite military branch, blogging, auctioning, emailing, and spreading the news Here are the Team Leaders: Blackfive - Army Chaotic Synaptic Activity - Navy/Coast Guard Mudville Gazette - Air Force SA Holly Aho - Marine Corps I'm a proud member of the ARMY team - as you can tell by the donation block at the top of the right hand sidebar. Please spread the word, send email, tell your friends, and consider a donation - no matter how small. It all adds up, and the impact is huge.

SpouseBUZZ 3 Live announcement

Greetings all - I just wanted to pass along the Buzz! Carren Ziegenfuss asked for help spreading the word on the news that SpouseBUZZ Live 3 is a Go. The SpouseBUZZ team is super excited about taking our next LIVE event to Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to Ft. Bragg and Pope Air Force Base. If you've never attended one of these events, you are in for a real treat. I understand from the spouses who've attended the previous SpouseBUZZ Live events that they are the place to be. Here's more from Andi... We have some wonderful surprises in store for you at SpouseBUZZ LIVE Ft. Bragg/Pope. Each of our LIVE events have been amazing, and this one will be no exception. Please plan to attend. The SpouseBUZZ team wants to meet you. Tell your friends about SpouseBUZZ LIVE Ft. Bragg/Pope. Make it a girls weekend, or a girls day out. Are you a male spouse? We would love to have you. As much as Toad enjoys hanging out with all the ladies, I'm sure he would be thrilled to see a few male spouses in the audience, and so would we. Come relax, laugh, cry and bond with hundreds of other military spouses. Listen to great conversations, meet interesting people, make new friends, load yourself down with free stuff and walk away stimulated and energized. Hey, we need each other - especially now. We want to extend a very special thank you to Military.com, the premiere sponsor for this event. Military.com has been incredibly supportive of all things SpouseBUZZ, and we are grateful for their deep commitment to the military spouse community. So go here to read more about it, and go here to register. And if you aren't already reading SpouseBUZZ, add it to your list now!

Sgt Hook is back...

I was happy to see his blog light up again today ... And he's got boots on the ground. Glad to see you again, Sgt Hook - Welcome back!