Fundraiser will help local wounded veterans
Lt. Terry Peterson of Warrenville and Sgt. Israel Del Toro Jr. of Naperville will be the beneficiaries of the fourth annual Wounded Soldier Fundraiser Sept. 20 at Bliss Creek Golf Course in Sugar Grove.
Peterson was wounded in Iraq and Del Toro suffered injuries while serving in Afghanistan. Both received the Purple Heart.
The Wounded Soldier Fundraiser was founded by Vietnam veteran Ed Huss of Sugar Grove Township in 2005. He got the idea after hosting reunions for fellow Vietnam veterans.
"We'd pass the hat to cover expenses and we got much more than we needed," Huss explained. He and his wife, Judy, first held the reunion for Vietnam veterans seven years ago and they are still involved in the annual event.
"My wife suggested helping a wounded soldier," Huss said. "I called Fort Hood (in Texas) and got the name of a soldier who had been wounded and needed help. I decided to have a fundraiser. It's been so rewarding."
Huss was with the 1st Calvary out of Fort Hood when he served in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967.
Registration for the fundraiser begins at 10 a.m. and a scramble format begins at noon. The cost is $100 for dinner and golf and $30 for dinner only.
"We can accommodate an extra 100 people for dinner, in addition to those who are playing golf," Huss said.
The Honey Bears, a dance group that originated as cheerleaders for the Chicago Bears but are now separate, will be at the golf outing and will perform at dinner.
According to Huss, both Peterson and Del Toro are planning to be at the event, although both are still in treatment. Peterson, a graduate of Marmion Academy in Aurora, suffered injuries to his left arm and wrist and his right leg and hand when a roadside bomb hit his armored Humvee in Iraq.
Del Toro was badly burned when his Humvee rolled over a buried pressure plate mine in Afghanistan.
The 2007 Wounded Soldier Fundraiser raised $15,400 for Victor Rojas of Aurora, whose right leg was shattered by a rocket-propelled grenade. The proceeds were used as a down payment on a house for his family. The goal this year is $32,000.
Sponsorships of a minimum of $150 are still available.
To register for the fundraiser or volunteer, e-mail ed@thewoundedsoldierfundraiser.com, or visit www.thewoundedsoldierfundraiser.com.
Donations may be mailed directly to The Wounded Soldier Fundraiser, 6S260 Hankes Road, Aurora, IL 60506.