schwass Our good friend Michael Schwass passed away on September 10, 2010 from cardiomyopathy. Michael was injured in a freak hockey accident in 1975 that paralyzed his body, but not his spirit. The doctors told him that he might live another ten years. By his sheer determination and hard work, Mike went on to live another 35 years of a remarkable life and inspired hundreds of people along the way.

Hockey Hall of Famer (1983) and good friend, Stan Mikita, said it best, "As a man, he was the toughest I've ever met." You can read more of this tribute to Michael by clicking here.

Michael will be sorely missed, but not forgotten. The week Michael died he was to launch a new initiative with the Laurus Foundation called Victory Gardens – a counseling and mentoring program for the wives of disabled veterans.

Victory Gardens were vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted primarily by military mothers and wives during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort, these gardens were also considered a civil "morale booster" — in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. This made victory gardens become a part of daily life on the home front.

Our goal going forward is to provide the same type of morale boosting through this counseling and mentoring initiative for the brave wives of disabled Veterans who have served and sacrificed so much for our country.

In Other News Special thanks to our Partners in Progress, Disabled Patriot Fund (DPF) and Wounded Soldier Fundraiser (WSF) for their generous contributions to the families were serve. WSF donated $15,000.00 to Aimee and Yuriy Zmysly to help with expenses for their new house and defray the cost of Yuriy's HBOT treatments. DPF donated $2500.00 to the family of wounded soldier Duane Kozlowski who has been receiving treatments through Laurus Foundation for a traumatic brain injury.