Veterans team up to help others

Veterans raise money to build sport court at VA Medical Center in Prescott
Lisa Irish
The Daily Courier
11/25/2012

Young veterans are returning with different needs for recreation and rehabilitation than older vets, so a veterans group is raising funds to build a sport court at the Bob Stump Memorial Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Prescott.

"The needs are great," said Bob Wallace, with the Arizona Military Order of the Devil Dogs Charities, part of the Marine Corps League. "We do a great job for our older veterans, but we need more for our younger veterans."

The project includes a wheelchair-accessible lighted multi-sport court where able-bodied and disabled veterans can play basketball, tennis, badminton, paddleball, volleyball, and shuffleboard, a single-wall handball and racquetball court, and seating which can be expanded for large events.

"More than $42,500 has been raised of the $75,000 anticipated cost of the facility," said Wallace, project director in Prescott for the Arizona Military Order of the Devil Dogs Charities.

Funds for the project have been collected through yard sales, raffles, and donations from individuals, organizations and businesses, and the nonprofit 501c3 organization is looking for more donations to they can start building this summer, Wallace said.

After Wallace told his 8- and 10-year-old grandchildren about the project, they asked him why he was doing this.

"I told them I wanted to give back to the veterans who sacrificed so much for us," Wallace said. "They just opened up their piggy banks and said here's some dollars to help."
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