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Ken Messier stumbled upon the Kansas Veterans and Family Reunion by accident, but he decided to stay for the weekend in hopes of informing more people about his cause.
Messier, along with two other individuals, are riding their bicycles from Avon, Ct., to San Francisco to spread awareness of the Children and Adult Mobility Project.
“This is just about half way,” Messier said, adding that he hadn’t planned to even come through El Dorado. “We were leaving Chanute and we were supposed to go to Nickerson,” he explained. But when looking at the mileage, they saw it made more sense to travel through El Dorado.
Their first night here he camped next to some of the veterans in town for the reunion and they told him about the events. While the other two, Peter Feitner and his 13-year-old daughter, Karina, headed on to Colorado, Messier decided to stay and set up a booth at the reunion informing people about their cause. He will then meet up with his cycling companions in Denver, where they will stop to rest. They are raising awareness and money for the mobility project.
Their goal is to raise $250,000 for military veterans who have suffered disabilities as a result of their service to their country. The money will go toward the purchase of the latest revolutionary physical therapy equipment, developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in partnership with Enduro Medical Technology, to severely injured soldiers.
The equipment helps them regain their physical well being. Originally, they were working to benefit children but then they decided to change their focus.
“We donated secure ambulation modules to treat spinal chord and traumatic brain injuries at Walter Reed Memorial Hospital,” he said. “We started doing these for the kids, then the war started and I donated the first one to Walter Reed.
After spending a lot of time at Walter Reed himself, Messier decided the need was greater right now for the military personnel returning, so they changed their focus.
They hope to get the equipment to the other facilities patients are transfered to after being at Walter Reed.
“We were looking for a way to emphasize the needs that are out there and increase awareness,” he said. He also felt the government could do more in the way of medical equipment.
Anyone wanting to make a donation can do so through their Web site at campmobilityproject.org. In all, they plan to bicycle about 3,500 miles.
Ken Messier stumbled upon the Kansas Veterans and Family Reunion by accident, but he decided to stay for the weekend in hopes of informing more people about his cause.
Messier, along with two other individuals, are riding their bicycles from Avon, Ct., to San Francisco to spread awareness of the Children and Adult Mobility Project.
“This is just about half way,” Messier said, adding that he hadn’t planned to even come through El Dorado. “We were leaving Chanute and we were supposed to go to Nickerson,” he explained. But when looking at the mileage, they saw it made more sense to travel through El Dorado.
Their first night here he camped next to some of the veterans in town for the reunion and they told him about the events. While the other two, Peter Feitner and his 13-year-old daughter, Karina, headed on to Colorado, Messier decided to stay and set up a booth at the reunion informing people about their cause. He will then meet up with his cycling companions in Denver, where they will stop to rest. They are raising awareness and money for the mobility project.
Their goal is to raise $250,000 for military veterans who have suffered disabilities as a result of their service to their country. The money will go toward the purchase of the latest revolutionary physical therapy equipment, developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in partnership with Enduro Medical Technology, to severely injured soldiers.
The equipment helps them regain their physical well being. Originally, they were working to benefit children but then they decided to change their focus.
“We donated secure ambulation modules to treat spinal chord and traumatic brain injuries at Walter Reed Memorial Hospital,” he said. “We started doing these for the kids, then the war started and I donated the first one to Walter Reed.
After spending a lot of time at Walter Reed himself, Messier decided the need was greater right now for the military personnel returning, so they changed their focus.
They hope to get the equipment to the other facilities patients are transfered to after being at Walter Reed.
“We were looking for a way to emphasize the needs that are out there and increase awareness,” he said. He also felt the government could do more in the way of medical equipment.
Anyone wanting to make a donation can do so through their Web site at campmobilityproject.org. In all, they plan to bicycle about 3,500 miles.
