Feb. 21, 2012

"I want to thank you, as well as those individuals at UIC involved that made yesterday what it was. I'll never forget the gracious hospitality that you showed us. It was an experience I will never forget. You guys sure know how to make a guy feel important," wounded warrior Robert C. Morales said.

"I want to say "thank you", truly from the bottom of my heart. My son Nick and I really had a great time. We had good company, good food and shared some great stories. I tell my son that great people will always come into your life, but if you don't appreciate them and speak with them, it's a wasted opportunity," wounded warrior, Matt Johnson said.

It is no wonder that UIC continues to partner with the Wounded Warrior Project; a non-profit organization that strives to provide complete rehabilitative efforts for wounded soldiers, and as part of its effort, the organization teams up with colleges and universities, to recognize the men and women, who return from Iraq and Afghanistan with service-related injuries.

UIC's alliance with the Wounded Warrior Project continues Thursday when three warriors are welcomed to the UIC Pavilion for "Military Night" for the men's basketball game against Milwaukee, a university that also has an alliance with the WWP, at 7:00 p.m. (CT) in Chicago, Ill.

In honor of the event, UIC staff will be wearing "Military Night" t-shirts, and in addition to UIC students receiving free admission with a valid student ID per usual, all students with a military and student ID will also receive free admission. Anyone with a military ID is eligible for five-dollar tickets for him or herself, and guests. During the game, select military members will be selected for on-court activities, while three wounded warriors will be in attendance, and will be honored during a timeout.

Among the warriors in attendance, Austin Quick, a Moline, Ill., native, who joined the Navy in 1999, where he served as a Marine Combat Specialist and a Religious Program Specialist from 1999-2007. Vince Anyaso, a member of the United States Marine Corps, is from Washington, D.C., joined the force at age 19 and is approaching 21 years of service, including nine years of active duty and 11 years on reserve. Anyaso currently serves as the Communication Chief in the Marine Corp. The final wounded warrior, Kishauna Hampton, represents the army, where she served for eight years, including being deployed to Iraq for 18 months. Hampton is currently enrolled in graduate school and is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in criminal justice.

The Wounded Warrior Project, originally founded in Roanoke, Va., in 2003, began as an initiative to provide items of comfort to service-injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Since, the nearly 10-year-old organization has relocated its headquarters to Jacksonville, Fla., with additional program offices throughout the United States, and the effort now serves as a complete rehabilitative effort for wounded soldiers, and since the start of the program, it has helped thousands and thousands of wounded warriors.

Through the rehabilitative effort, the Project has established programs that cater to economic empowerment, engagement, mind and body.

Jason Martinez, the manager of the Physical Health and Wellness branch in Chicago, assists wounded warriors with their entrance back into society by promoting healthy lifestyles through partnerships with locals gyms, education on nutrition and exposure to recreational sports, which instills confidence necessary for everyday life.

"Entrance back into society is different for each warrior," Martinez said. "Some of them come back with invisible wounds, some of them come back with very visible wounds. The way they are looked at by society is a little different depending on if the injury is something that someone can actually see. Many of the warriors we deal with have post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries, and the general public can't tell they're injured, but they very much are."

As the Wounded Warrior Project continues to grow, helping thousands more, it will continue to partner with more colleges, universities and organizations to ensure to avoid the greatest casualty of all; being forgotten.