Charities Supported by Handbag Tailor of Livingston Montana
EAGLE MOUNT
In 1982, General Robert C. Mathis and his wife, Greta, retired from a 34 year career in the Air Force to bring a family dream to reality. They had long dreamed of creating a place where persons of all ages with disabilities could experience and share what an able-bodied person might take for granted. They came to Southwestern Montana and established the I Am Third Foundation (based on Matthew 22) to build Eagle Mount.
In the fall of 1983, in Bozeman, MT, the Eagle Mount winter program began to take form. The idea was to start with a modest program of 20 to 30 people, teaching them either Alpine or Nordic skiing. Very quickly, it became necessary to put people on the waiting list after reaching 104 skiers and almost 80 volunteer instructors. People with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, visual and hearing impairments, developmental disabilities, amputations and spinal cord injuries skied one day a week with their own personal volunteer instructor. Eagle Mount had only just begun.
Today, Eagle Mount creates unparalleled therapeutic recreation opportunities for people of all ages and disabilities. Through Eagle Mount, persons with special needs are challenged to achieve the previously unthinkable in skiing, ice skating, swimming, horseback riding, golfing, and more. Children with cancer are given the freedom of normalcy participating in one of three summer oncology camps. At Eagle Mount the grip of a disability is loosened, providing
life-changing opportunities for all involved.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Inc. (PanCAN) was founded in 1999 to focus national attention on a disease that impacts over 37,000 Americans annually but receives far less consideration than cancers of comparable severity. Initially created as a grass-roots organization, PanCAN has become the national leader in the quest to defeat pancreatic cancer. PanCAN fulfills its mission through a comprehensive strategy that combines directly funding research, generating public policy, providing patient services, and extending community outreach and education nationwide. The organization stands as a beacon of hope for the pancreatic cancer community by providing leadership and unity in the urgent fight to find a cure.
Pancreatic Cancer Facts
Every 14 minutes someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
• Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
• Pancreatic cancer is the 3rd leading cause of cancer death among 40-59 year old men.
• Approximately 37,170 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year.
• There are no early detection methods so the disease is usually diagnosed in the late state.
• Men are 20% more likely to develop cancer of the pancreas than women.
• African Americans are 40% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than Caucasians.
• Ashkenazi Jews who are carriers of the BRCA2 gene are at greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
• In 2006, an estimated $66.7 million dollars of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) cancer research investment was spent on pancreatic cancer research. This is just 1% of the NCI’s $4.8 billion dollar cancer research budget for 2006.
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Inc.
2141 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 7000
El Segundo, CA 90245
THE WOUNDED WARRIOR DISABLED SPORTS PROJECT
The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project is a partnership between the Wounded Warrior Project and Disabled Sports USA to provide year round sports programs for severely wounded service members from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflict and the Global War on Terrorism.
Thirty-seven years of experience has shown early intervention with active sports results in successful rehabilitation, leading to employment. The “Wounded Warriors” and their family members are provided these opportunities free of charge, including transportation, lodging, adaptive equipment and individualized instruction in over a dozen different winter and summer sports.
Programs take place at sites throughout the United States of America offering Wounded Warriors the opportunity to integrate as participants and mentors in their home communities.
Ski Breckenridge
The Breckenridge Ski Festival is one of our WWDSP events that takes place each winter at Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, CO. It is one of the nation’s largest winter sports festivals for people with disabilities. At this event severely wounded servicemembers regain their previously active lives and learn how to use adaptive ski equipment with the help of seasoned professionals and skilled volunteers.
Why is the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project Important?
“If I can do this, I can do anything!”
These soldiers, airmen and marines are going through a very difficult time. They are warriors, athletes with the majority in their twenties. This sudden, traumatic change in physical ability makes service members vulnerable to psychological and emotional, as well as physical trauma; which severely impacts them and their families.
What they need is action NOW that will show them the promise of a bright and active future. Sport provides this. With the proper adaptive equipment and trained instructors, they can successfully learn a sport - almost any sport—in ONE day. This immediate success provides a foundation for the development of a positive self-image and outlook on life. This transformation is a key factor in leading an independent, full and productive life.
