The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has provided flooring for its 64th home in support of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment). The R.I.S.E. program builds mortgage-free, custom, specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans and first responders. The home dedication for United States Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Romulo “Romy” Camargo took place on July 27, in Lutz, Florida. Flooring for the project was donated by NWFA members Derr Flooring and Swiff-Train.
CW3 Camargo entered the Army at age 19, completing the rigorous Special Forces training, which led to numerous deployments around the world. In 2008, while in Afghanistan as part of a humanitarian mission, his detachment was attacked during a combat mission. Camargo was shot in the back of the neck, paralyzing him from the neck down.
“Chief Warrant Officer Camargo is a true inspiration,” says Michael Martin, president and CEO of NWFA. “Despite his severe injuries, he and his wife, Gaby, founded the Stay in Step Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center in Tampa, Florida, which serves returning service members and veterans with spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders that cause paralysis. Their aspirations are to build a new pilot center complete with an underwater treadmill, basketball court, cafeteria, kids’ room, and family room. We’re honored to partner with Derr Flooring and Swiff-Train to provide beautiful wood floors for their new home.”
In addition to the 64 homes already completed, NWFA currently is working with its members to source wood flooring for 17 additional R.I.S.E. homes in various stages of planning and construction. Currently, 143 NWFA member companies have donated product, logistics, and installation services in locations throughout the United States, with a total value of more than $5.7 million. A list of all NWFA R.I.S.E. participating companies can be found at nwfa.org/giving-back.aspx.
To learn more about the program, and how you and/or your company can get involved, contact the NWFA at 800.422.4556, or e-mail them at anita.howard@nwfa.org.