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Thank you Diageo for supporting iPads For Soldiers!!!!

Find Diageo Alcohol here:

http://www.diageo.com/en-row/Pages/default.aspx

June 9th we celebrated the third Edition Tiki Bash to benefit iPads For Soldiers! The night was a huge success with raffle prizes, drink specials, dancing, and lots more!

Thank you to the outstanding men & women who came together to make this event possible! “The fate of America rests in hands of our youth…”

A BIG THANK YOU to: Frank Swain, Angie Jusino, Abby Kohlman, Ed Giese, Jack Middlebrooks, Peter Sung, Bill Collier, Warner Lewis, Maura McGroarty, Heather Darazs, Kate, Manders, Ginni Mac Neil, Molly Porter, Rachel Koch, Lauren Smiley, Kerby Teller, Tom Lavan, John Frist, Martin Bernstein, Hart Harrigan, and JS Vowell

**Partnered with Young Consultants of D.C. (YCDC) and Public Properties LLC**

If you are interested in hosting your own iPads For Soldiers fundraiser please let us know!

This past weekend founders Winnie and Wes Pritchett personally brought over 30 iPads to our wounded heroes at Bethesda. Many of the soliders have lost several limbs and suffer various degrees of brain damage.
Joining them was their son Wesley Pritchett, a helicopter pilot who recently returned from Afghanistan and Jeramy Pritchett, founder of Blindfold Magazine.

The benefits of iPads to our wounded soldiers both emotionally and physically is almost impossible to count… The touch screen allows soldiers who are missing fingers, hands, etc. to navigate the iPad with moderate ease. Many soldiers use the iPad as a tool for recovery – the countless apps provide our brave soldiers with a fun and engaging way to learn.

Most importantly, it allows them to email and FaceTime with their loved ones that cannot be with them…

The experience was beautiful and it was also heartbreaking in many ways. But our men and women are strong, they will recover. We must not forget them.

Thank you.

The iPad isn’t just a cool/fun technology, it can be incredibly useful for our wounded warriors. Below are different Apps that you can get on your iPad that will help with brain injuries, PTSD, stress, anxiety, and overall recovery…

Our wounded warriors deserve the absolute best and an iPad is a token of our gratitude and a tool for recovery!
See below!

Answers HD App-
It is a two button choice app, with the standard yes/no choices. It also let’s you write other choices and record the words in your own voice…
For example, we ask Doug (soldier suffering a brain injury) what branch of the military he is in, one choice will be usmc, other choice will be army. This app is a huge asset in Doug’s communication.
Want the App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/answers-yesno-hd/id393762442?mt=8

Small Talk
Designed for people with aphasia, an impairment in the ability to use language, SmallTalk Aphasia provides a vocabulary of pictures and videos that talk in a natural human voice.
Want the App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smalltalk-aphasia-female/id310102858?mt=8

Speak It
Speak It To Me is an advanced text to speech app for your iPhone or iPod Touch. Use Speak It To Me to speak any English text you type. Paste in emails, webpages, and any other text you can find.
Want the App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speak-it-to-me/id400582836?mt=8

Check these as well: Speak pad, Tap to talk, icomm, and Pics aloud.

Music Apps: Music is very important for brain injuries- Jampad, Shaker, Virtuoso, Tappy tunes, Axylophone, Guitar, and Finger drums.

Interactive apps are important for cause and effect and to help with motor and cognitive skills. Some of our favorites: Pocket pond, Whiteboard, Fireworks, Fluidity, Art of glow, Neon mania, and Hunt plus.

Cognitive Apps:
123 numbers, ABC Letters, Flash cards, and many autism apps.
** For those that may be higher functioning, there are many apps that will help them organize and remember things, such as Evernote, remember the milk, cozi, wunderlist and leadertask.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/123-numbers-learning/id511739168?mt=8

For families wanting to understand more about their loved ones brain injuries, or to understand terms thrown at us by doctors, and to cross reference medications and such, use: Medscape, Pocketrx, Anatomyacu, 3d brain, and mTBI.

PTSD Apps:
PTSD coach, PTSD support, breathe2relax, t2 mood tracker, and PTSD support for veterans.

We wish all our wounded warriors a steady and solid recovery. Thank you.

DIAGEO SALUTES THE TROOPS WITH YEAR-LONG COMMITMENT TO MILITARY PERSONNEL
World’s Leading Spirits Company Launches Campaign with $10,000 Donation
from the Captain Morgan First Mate Fund to iPads for Soldiers

NORWALK, Conn., – Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks company, today announced a year-long commitment to military personnel with an inaugural donation of $10,000 to iPads for Soldiers via the Captain Morgan brand’s First Mate Fund. The contribution is the first in a series of military-focused initiatives that will be executed by Diageo over the next year.

iPads for Soldiers will utilize the donation to provide troops in combat with technology to improve life in the field. The 501(c)3 organization was founded in 2010 by Winnie Pritchett, whose son Wes was serving in Afghanistan at the time. Pritchett recognized the need for soldiers to be able to conveniently access the Internet, stay in touch with loved ones at home and learn new skills, all of which can be done through the use of iPads. For more information, please visit www.iPadsForSoldiers.org.

The donation is being made via Captain Morgan’s First Mate Fund, which was established in November 2010 to benefit non-profit organizations that support responsible drinking and other community initiatives. To date, Captain Morgan has donated close to $1,000,000 to charitable organizations across the country, including Designated Drivers Foundation, BeMyDD, Operation Economic Freedom, Responsible Hospitality Institute, 100 Black Men and various food banks.
The iPads for Soldiers donation kicks off a year-long initiative designed by Diageo to honor troops through a series of military initiatives. Brands that will participate in military-focused programs include Crown Royal, Cîroc, Jose Cuervo, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan.
“We recognize the sacrifices men and women in uniform across the country and overseas are making on a daily basis and are excited to honor them for their selfless service,” said Glenn R. Marchi, Director of Corporate Relations Operations, Diageo and Colonel, New York Guard. “We hope these programs are able to provide military service members and their loved ones with unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences as a small token of our thanks for all they do to protect and defend our great nation.”
Crown Royal will honor one deserving man or woman with naming rights to the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 29th, 2012 through the brand’s annual “Your Hero’s Name Here” program. The winner, as determined by consumer vote, will be treated to an unforgettable experience, which includes waving the green flag to signal the start of the race and delivering the trophy bearing his or her moniker to the race winner in Victory Lane.
Military service members will also be encouraged to hit the sand with Jose Cuervo’s Pro Beach Volleyball Series, which will sponsor volleyball leagues on military bases across the country. The bracket-style series will end with a championship game in California where the finalist teams will battle for ultimate bragging rights with the help their own pro coach.
Other military initiatives Diageo is set to execute this year include Cîroc vodka’s “Cîroc The New Year” promotion, which will award military members a chance to ring in the new year with P. Diddy at Cîroc’s official New Year’s Eve celebration and a trip to the finale event for Smirnoff’s Master of the Mix television program, a reality competition in search of the nation’s best DJ, among others.
When raising a glass to the troops, Diageo reminds you to always drink responsibly.
About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.

CH (CPT) Michael Dawson Thank YOU Letter