From left to right, supply chain management sophomores Connor Vonderhoff, Zach Lear and Taylor Horton finish the Amazing Spartan Race on Oct. 10, 2015, outside of the Main Library. Spartans Rebuilding Michigan put on the race to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity that works to help soldiers of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and their families with rehabilitation.
A group of students dedicated to helping war veterans in need, Spartans Aiding Warriors, has recently formed as an affiliate under MSU’s Wounded Warrior Project.
The group was made possible through the national branch of the Wounded Warrior Project, via aprogramwhere individuals can become “Student Ambassadors.” Signing up for $10 comes with a kit full of promotional materials and information for campaigning.
“Because WWP is a well-marketed national charity, I had the thought that this would be a great student organization for members to build leadership skills quickly,” Spartans Aiding Warriors President and accounting junior Michael Shepard said.
“We have to work with the national organization to ensure that the WWP brand is maintained, and this is something we continue to improve on as a group.”
Shepard said he decided to get involved with the Wounded Warriors Project for two main reasons.
“The first was that Danny Dietz, one of the Navy SEALs killed in the mission from the movie ‘Lone Survivor’ is from my home town in Colorado,” Shepard said.
Shepard said the movie and book based on the events hit home with him.
“I also have known a couple people personally who have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious physical and mental injuries,” Shepard said. “Seeing both of these things prompted me to get involved in any way I could.”
“We felt as a group that this would be a great opportunity for us to get our name out and support the incredible group that Spartans Rebuilding Michigan has become in a very short amount of time,” Shepard said. “We are very thankful for their support.”
Shepard said the group’s primary goal for events is fundraising for the national organization while also engaging veterans on campus. Spartans Aiding Warriors not only aims to support veterans, but has also succeeded in making veterans at MSU feel at home.
“Once I was at Michigan State I was so excited, but there was just so many people, (there were) over 50,000 students (and) I felt lost,” human biology sophomore and former Navy Hospital Corpsman (medic) Sean Riley said.
“Thankfully I was able to get involved with the Student Veterans Association and Greek Life.”
Second Class Petty Officer Riley, who is currently serving in the Naval Reserves at the Navy Operational Support Center in Battle Creek, Mich, said he was looking for a brotherhood like the one he found in the military, and is proud to be a brother at Sigma Chi, where he met Shepard.
“I was enthused (that) someone at Michigan State would start up a group to help and assist wounded warriors,” Riley said.
SAW also has plans to put on a lacrosse game, hold multiple restaurant fundraisers with local East Lansing businesses and work with the Veterans Resource Center to volunteer for veteran affairs. Shepard said the first event in this capacity will be a “Fill the Bus” event to bring supplies to veterans living in Lansing.
“Spartans Aiding Warriors is dedicated to helping veterans on this campus,” Shepard said. “We want to provide an avenue for veterans to have fun with a larger group while fundraising for a great cause.”
SAW Vice President and packaging senior Elias Nasr said the group is working hard to entice new members and help people understand the Wounded Warrior Project.
“Being a new student organization, there are many opportunities for leadership and the ability to make an impact early is a huge reason for members to get involved with us,” Shepard said.
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