Gary Sinise Foundation Holds “Walls of Honor” Event for United States Army SGT Stefan Leroy (RET.) On July 8th in Jupiter, Florida

When: Monday, July 8th, 2019 9:00 a.m. (sharp) with a 1-Hour event.
*US Army Sgt Stefan LeRoy (Ret.) and family will be available for interviews following the "Walls of Honor" ceremony.

Where: NO PARKING ON SITE - 5 to 10 Minute Shuttle Ride from: Jupiter First Church located at 1475 Indian Creek Parkway, Jupiter, FL 33458

What: Gary Sinise Foundation will host a "Walls of Honor" event where veterans, community leaders, family, and friends are invited to write inspirational and personal messages of gratitude on the walls of the new specially adapted smart home currently under construction for US Army Sgt Stefan Leroy (Ret.) and his family. This event symbolizes the halfway point in building the Leroy forever home.

Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment), along with our donors, The Marcus Foundation, Home Depot Foundation, and Semper Fi Fund, as well as our building partners, including Shubert Design Furniture, Nortek Security & Control, National Wood Flooring Association, National Tile Contractors Association, GE, Sunbelt Rentals, Benjamin Moore, National Association of Home Builders, North American Moving Services, MAPEI, Broan-NuTone, American Airlines, Rheem, Natural Stone Institute, Dentons US LLP, Daltile and the general contractor, Groundstone Homes will join the greater Jupiter community in this “Walls of Honor” event.

Who: United States Army Sergeant Stefan LeRoy (Ret.) grew up in Santa Rosa, CA. He attended college at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and enrolled in their ROTC program. In 2010, he left school to enlist in the Army.

On June 7, 2012 while deployed in Afghanistan, Stefan and his platoon were clearing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) when two IEDs detonated. Stefan rushed to aid those injured by the blasts. While carrying an injured soldier to a Medevac helicopter, Stefan was struck by a third explosion. He lost both of his legs immediately.

Stefan was transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he spent over a month in the hospital. He spent two years learning to adapt to his prosthetics, drawing strength from his friends and the other amputees at the hospital. Sixteen months after his last surgery in September 2014, he ran the Boston Marathon.

Stefan’s current living situation does not accommodate his wheelchair, causing him stress in his day-to-day activities. The Gary Sinise Foundation looks forward to providing Stefan with a specially adapted smart home to ease his daily challenges.

Why: The simple tasks of everyday life -- climbing stairs, reaching a high shelf, getting in and out of the bathroom -- are easy to take for granted. Because these tasks are done without a second thought, it’s impossible to imagine an inability to perform them. But that’s often the reality for our severely wounded heroes, where basic tasks are impossible obstacles and the enduring ambition of rehabilitation is to achieve a semblance of normalcy. Under its R.I.S.E. program, the Gary Sinise Foundation is building specially adapted smart homes for our nation’s most severely wounded veterans and first responders. We are constructing these one-of-a-kind homes across the country, each for a wounded hero, their caregivers, and families. With a place to truly call home, they will now be able to move forward with their lives.

Prior Dedication Ceremony Videos of Specially Adapted Smart Homes:

 Brandon Dodson Dedication: https://youtu.be/t6aL9BL9Rhw

Alan Babin Dedication: https://youtu.be/5NIy17AQCfE

Guillermo Tejada Dedication: https://youtu.be/E78cB-yXUrI 

Cedric King Dedication:https://youtu.be/8bjehcePyvA

About the Gary Sinise Foundation:

The Gary Sinise Foundation honors America’s defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need. Through its R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment), specially adapted smart homes are being constructed for severely wounded veterans and first responders nationwide. Each one-of-a-kind home is customized to ease the everyday burdens of a wounded hero, their family, and caregivers. Other programs include Relief & Resiliency Outreach, Invincible Spirit Festivals, Gary Sinise &the Lt. Dan Band, Arts & Entertainment Outreach, Serving Heroes, First Responders Outreach, and Soaring Valor. Its latest program, Snowball Express, serves the children of our fallen military heroes, surviving spouses, and Gold Star families. For more information, please visit GarySiniseFoundation.org.