Sonoma State Recognizes Wounded Warrior At Logsdon Classic
ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – Sonoma State University honored one
of our nation's wounded heroes during its men's basketball game
against Minnesota State at The Wolves' Den in Rohnert Park, Calif.
on Nov. 16 as part of the 12th Annual Ron Logsdon Basketball
Classic. In partnership with Wounded Warrior ProjectTM (WWP)
and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics
(NACDA), Sonoma State's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has
invited local Wounded Warriors to participate as honorary team
captains for the men's and women's basketball teams during the
2012-13 season.
“Sonoma State Athletics is proud to recognize and honor our
brave soldiers through the Wounded Warrior Project,” said
Bill Fusco, SSU Director of Athletics. “At Sonoma State
University, we hope to make WWP more interactive with various
campus departments and hopefully open many opportunities for our
veterans.”
The mission of WWP is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors.
WWP is a nonprofit organization with the vision to foster the most
successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in
our nation's history.
Wounded Warrior Staff Sergeant Jeremiah Pauley of Petaluma was
honored prior to the SSU men's basketball game against Dominican
University of California. Originally from Massillon, Ohio,
Sergeant Pauley has lived in Petaluma for the past five
years. He spent 11 years in the United States Army where, in
2006, he was wounded by a roadside bomb while serving in Iraq and
received a Purple Heart. He has been involved with the
Wounded Warrior Project for a number of years and has participated
in Soldier Ride and AmpSurf.
“We applaud the collegiate athletic directors for supporting
our mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors,” said
Steve Nardizzi, executive director, Wounded Warrior Project.
“Events like these are beneficial to everyone involved.
We believe the fighting spirit and natural leadership abilities of
Wounded Warriors can play a big role in motivating athletes,
coaches, and communities. At the same time, these events pay
public tribute to the sacrifices this generation of Wounded
Warriors and their families have made. We also know, from our
longstanding relationship with NACDA, the warriors honored gain
confidence from attending these events.”
Over 48,000 service members have been physically wounded during
the current military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hundreds of thousands more are estimated to be recovering from
invisible wounds of war, including post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD), major depression, and traumatic brain injury
(TBI).
Sonoma State University Athletics will be planning future events
at intercollegiate athletic contests with the Wounded Warriors
Project. For more information on WWP, please visit
woundedwarriorproject.org.
About Wounded Warrior ProjectTM
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project™ (WWP) is to honor
and empower wounded warriors. WWP's purpose is to raise
awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured
service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and
assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and
services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan
organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. To get
involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.
About NACDA
NACDA, now in its 49th year, is the professional and educational
association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at
more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada
and Mexico. More than 2,200 athletics administrators annually
attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers
13 professional associations, including seven for the separate
business units that report directly to the athletics
directors. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.
