Courtesy photo
Frankie Davis received his track chair in May 2020 and said it’s significantly improved his daily life.
LAURINBURG — In 2019, Mermet employees set a goal of raising the $16,000 needed to sponsor one all-terrain track chair for a veteran. Not only did they double their goal, impacting two North Carolina veterans, but they were able to donate the rest of the money they raised to The Independence Fund’s COVID-19 relief efforts through their new program, Independence@Home.
“I’ve been able to do things that I can’t normally do in a wheelchair,” said Laurinburg native and Army veteran Frankie Davis. “It allowed me to go to the mountains and beach. It allowed me to go hunting and fishing. I’m very happy; I’m grateful.”
Davis received his track chair in May 2020 and said it’s significantly improved his daily life.
“Mermet has team members, customers and partners who are veterans, this connection coupled with the mission of The Independence Fund was the foundation of our collaboration, it just fit,” said Mermet Marketing Manager Holly Bridwell. “We believe in our veterans. We believe that doing our part can help to make a difference. That’s why we partnered with The Independence Fund.”
“We are so grateful for Mermet’s support of our mission to empower severely wounded veterans and their caregivers.” said The Independence Fund CEO SarahVerardo. “The Independence Fund provides the resources and tools that enable Veteran families to regain their independence and fight for their ability to sustain it. Our unending support to our Veterans rests on the generosity of every individual who believes in the work that we do for America’s most catastrophically wounded, injured and ill.”
Each all-terrain track chair paves the way to a more vibrant life that restores the freedom many catastrophically wounded Veterans thought was gone. For veterans who are accustomed to an active life, they have the opportunity to navigate mountain roads, woods, beaches, hiking trails and snowy terrain.
Davis is a passionate outdoorsman who loves to travel. His all-terrain track chair has allowed him to pursue his favorite activities with more freedom.
“Before I received my chair, if I had to go anywhere long distance or that required a lot of walking using my prosthesis, it was limiting and could cause back pain, so I didn’t have a chance to enjoy all the activities that I do now,” said Davis. “If I went to the beach, I rarely went down to the water because the prosthesis would get stuck in the sand. I use to travel and compete with a team before COVID-19. We’d go to California once a year to kayak, surf, mountain climb and canoe; we’d go to to Colorado once a year to ski too.
“The chair really helps, especially in Colorado in the snow,” he added. “I look forward to using my chair to get that chance to fully enjoy the activities that I love.”
The Independence Fund’s Mobility program provides catastrophically wounded Veterans the chance to regain their independence through the use of these all-terrain track chairs. These transformative chairs assure our nation’s bravest have the opportunity to enjoy independence in their own way.
“Exceeding our initial goal of raising enough money for one chair was an incredible feeling,” said Bridwall. “We couldn’t have done it without the generosity and support of our team members, customers and partners — together we made it happen! This campaign has shown me that when you believe in something, when you use your voice and people listen, you can create an unimaginable awareness and that is a gift that keeps on giving.”
Story received from The Independence Fund.