I wanted to write this while the joy was still fresh in our hearts. To just thank you, your volunteers, sponsors, everyone who made our day on the bay amazing. It’s almost surreal what a great day it was for our family.
My husband is a fairly young disabled veteran. Not really what you would imagine one to be. We found the wounded warrior through a person at our church. He had been disabled out of the military due to an injury he had obtained in OIF along with PTSD, anxiety etc. Then his battle buddy, best friend, the best man at our wedding committed suicide due to PTSD from their tours together. My husband really became distant from new situations, especially making friends and creating bonds. Without the wounded warrior and events like this, I’m not sure my husband would have days where he felt “normal” again or was able to form bonds again. He has made a really good friend who was at Day on the Bay. It gave him such a safe space, where he feels like he belongs, with people that understand him. Not people that pity him, but people that make him feel genuinely cared for. We were in awe at the generosity, the kindness, the overwhelming love from the people there. I really had to hold back tears because these moments are not our everyday. The coins are something that might seem insignificant, but when he served he used to be so proud to get them. So receiving them from you guys, he really was excited. The kids were excited for him, that’s something that warms my heart. Receiving the plaque that was made, it really made him feel valued again. Most people don’t understand the importance of those moments, but you guys did, you’re heros to us. He would have stayed in the Army the rest of his life if he could have, saved his friend if he knew how. If it wasn’t for the people with such loving hearts, I honestly don’t know where he would be. You’ve allowed him an opportunity to heal, feel valued, feel like he had a purpose and accept himself for where he is. The kids also had a blast. Our captain made it really fun for them. They even had a treat for the kids on board and were just so kind, I know having 3 strange kids on board can be a challenge, but they were so welcoming and good to them. We even didn’t know to register our kids, but Jenny was able to squeeze them in for us! The food was amazing! How incredible you guys were, I just am in awe. So thank you, from the bottom of our hearts for such an amazing day that we will treasure for a lifetime. I know my husband and his friend will be talking about it for a long time. Also my 7 year old really liked the Ravens cheerleaders.
