It was an honor for both Diane and I to attend the 13th Annual Stand Up for Heroes event organized by the Bob Woodruff Foundation in the Hulu Theater of Madison Square Garden in New York City November 4, 2019.  I also attended the Leadership Council meeting of the Bob Woodruff Foundation that morning, kindly hosted by Capital One in their headquarters.  I continue to be very impressed by what the Bob Woodruff Foundation does for Veterans.

About The Bob Woodruff Foundation

The Foundation is ably led by Co-Chairs and Co-Founders Lee and Bob Woodruff and Bob’s brother Dave.  On January 29, 2006, Woodruff and Canadian cameraman Doug Vogt were seriously injured in an explosion from an improvised explosive device near Taji, Iraq. Bob had traveled with an ABC News team to Israel to report on the aftermath of the 2006 Palestinian elections, and then via Amman to Baghdad, so that he could meet with troops before President George W. Bush’s State of the Union address for 2006.  At the time of the attack, they were embedded with the U.S. 4th Infantry Division. Both men were wearing body armor and protective helmets at the time. Woodruff sustained shrapnel wounds; Vogt was struck by shrapnel in the head, and suffered a broken shoulder. Both men underwent surgery for head injuries with a joint Army and Air Force neurosurgical team at the U.S. Air Force hospital south of Balad, located in Camp Anaconda, and were reported to be in stable condition.  Over an extended period of time, with tremendous support from family and friends, Bob recovered.  He, Lee, and Dave set up the foundation to care for Veterans and their families.  Given Bob’s injuries and the family involvement in recovery, this mission is visceral for them.

Caring for Veterans and Their Families

The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) is a leader in the Military-Veterans landscape, which has made significant progress in caring for Veterans and their families.  The impeccable integrity of Bob, Lee, and Dave pervades the organization.  They find, shape, fund, and accelerate solutions that help impacted Veterans, Service Members, and their families.  Their emphasis is on providing thought leadership, focused grant making, and an innovation laboratory.  CEO Anne Marie Dougherty and her team do a wonderful job shaping and potentially funding innovative activity that is dedicated to ensuring that Post 9/11 impacted Veterans, Service Members, and their families are thriving long after they return home.

Honoring Our Heroes

The Stand Up for Heroes event is a fundraiser and celebration of the activities of the BWF.  The performers donate their time.  It was a great evening, with performances by Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Jon Stewart, John Oliver, and more.  We enjoyed celebrating Kelly and Daryl, who were invited to attend the event representing the McCormick Research Institute (MRI) and Heavenly Hooves, where I serve on the Board.  MRI is working with partners like the University of Central Florida Medical School and the Orlando Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to validate the use of equine therapy to help with the struggles of Post-Traumatic Stress.  Kelly was a Medic with the Marine Corps in the War on Terror who was seriously injured and equine therapy played an important role in her recovery.

It was my honor to attend these events and continue to try in some small way to provide some expertise to better care for Veterans and their families.