H.R. No. 494
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The nonprofit Wheelchairs for Warriors is holding
its Rolling Strong kickoff fund-raising event in Stafford on
September 11, 2017; and
WHEREAS, This outstanding organization was created to
provide customized, enhanced-mobility wheelchairs to veterans and
first responders who were severely disabled in the line of duty; and
WHEREAS, The base cost for such wheelchairs can run as high as
$30,000, while additional features and adjustments for the
individual user can bring the final price to as much as $100,000;
chairs will be tailored to the needs of each recipient, so that they
can be controlled, if necessary, by a puff of breath or by the
movement of the user's eyes, mouth, chin, head, or finger; and
WHEREAS, The first recipients of these state-of-the-art
products are Colin Doyle of the U.S. Marine Corps, who was paralyzed
from the chest down in Afghanistan, and retired U.S. Army Colonel
Rob Harmon, who was injured in a helicopter accident at Fort
Campbell; also receiving a custom-designed chair will be U.S.
Secret Service agent Garrett Fitzgerald, who was paralyzed from the
neck down in an automobile accident while protecting presidential
candidate Hillary Clinton in 2015; and
WHEREAS, Wheelchairs for Warriors benefits from the guidance
of executive director Crystal Laramore, the CEO of Laramore Media
Group, and from the expertise of clinical psychologist Dr. Deanna
Foster, who serves as president, U.S. Army veteran Heidi Hansing,
who leads the group's partnership development, and complex rehab
seating specialist Paul Morgan, who plays a vital role in
engineering the chairs; serving on the board are U.S. Navy veteran
Joe Amato and former U.S. Secret Service agent James Napolitano,
while former NFL quarterback Dan Pastorini holds honorary board
membership; and
WHEREAS, Americans owe a profound debt of gratitude to those
military personnel and first responders who put themselves at risk
to ensure our safety and security, and Wheelchairs for Warriors
promises to play a vital role in providing these brave men and women
with the support they so richly deserve; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby commemorate the Rolling
Strong kickoff fund-raiser for Wheelchairs for Warriors and extend
to all those associated with the organization sincere best wishes
for success in their important work; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Wheelchairs for Warriors as an expression of high
regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
Cain
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 494 was adopted by the House on August
15, 2017, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House