Cardinal Health, RBC attendees donate $344,000 to Wounded Warrior Project
WASHINGTON — Cardinal Health’s commitment to the Wounded Warrior Project continued to shine bright at this year’s Retail Business Conference in Washington, D.C., as Cardinal Health once again held a silent auction to raise funds. Retired Army Staff Sergeant Erick Millette shared how Wounded Warrior Project saved his life.
"We have been partnered with Cardinal Health for four years, and they are true stewards of our mission, which is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. Not only have they helped raise more than $1.4 million to help support our 20 life-saving programs, they have also energized their employees to support our nation's great heroes,” said Brea Kratzert, director of strategic partnerships at Wounded Warrior Project. “We are incredibly grateful to Cardinal Health, their employees and customers. With their support we are able to make a true impact and work toward our vision of fostering the most successful, well-adjusted generation of injured service members in our nation's history."
Cardinal Health once again held a silent online auction in support of the Wounded Warrior Project. Cardinal Health employees, together with customer and vendors who attended RBC, raised more than $194,000 for Wounded Warrior Project and the Cardinal Health Foundation contributed $150,000 — raising a grand total of $344,000 for the organization in 2014 alone.
“The members of Wounded Warrior Project understand as well as anyone the impact change can have on our lives. These are the brave men and women whose dedication to our country is steadfast, yet they have faced what most of us might see as devastating changes,” said Marc DeLorenzo, VP Independent Sales East Region at Cardinal Health. “But rather than let their injuries diminish their spirits, they have built a network of support to help each other adjust to some of life’s most intense changes.”
To share how Wounded Warrior Project has changed his life, Millette, a former combat patrol leader in Iraq, took to the stage during the Opening Night Celebration.
“Erick’s military career as a combat patrol leader in the U.S. Army is a story of survival against all odds. He suffered many injuries due to multiple direct hits by improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Despite a challenging recovery, Erick’s feelings echo many Wounded Warriors when he says, ‘I believe each day is a gift, and I want to help injured service members live that gift to its fullest,” DeLorenzo said.
After surviving multiple direct hits by IEDs, Millette was forced to retire in December 2007. Millette said it was then that his life began to unravel as he battled feelings of guilt, anger and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I began to self-medicate heavily with alcohol. I became suicidal. I locked myself in solitary confinement within that prison in my mind. I was battling the invisible wounds that I didn’t understand. How could I expect anyone else to understand them?” said Millette. “I thought I was alone until November 2012 when I picked up the phone, and I called Wounded Warrior Project.”
Today, thanks to the support he has received over the years through Wounded Warrior Project, Millette said he no longer has thoughts of suicide or a desire self medicate.
“It is because of everyone in this room that Wounded Warrior Project can offer their 20 high-touch, high-impact programs and services at no charge to our warriors and their families,” Millette told attendees. “… All of you had a part in helping to save my life.”
Throughout the year, Cardinal Health’s independent pharmacy customers also took it upon themselves to raise funds for Wounded Warrior Project. For example, Dale’s Southlake Pharmacy hosted its 3rd Annual Warrior Walk. As part of the effort, Southlake Pharmacy staff pharmacist Ron Stephens helped raise awareness and funds for Wounded Warrior Project by walking 300 miles throughout local communities in central and northern Illinois. Together with its partner, Doc’s Drugs, Dale’s Southlake Pharmacy collected $43,000.