ST. LOUIS, Missouri (February 1, 2020) – The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has provided flooring for its 43rd home in support of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment). The R.I.S.E. program builds custom, specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans and first responders. The home dedication for United States Army Major Jeremy Haynes (ret.) took place on January 30, in Clifton, Virginia. Flooring for the project was donated by NWFA member Allegheny Mountain Harwood Flooring.

Major Haynes was injured in 2014 while on in mission in Kabul. It was there during his deployment that an Afghan military soldier shot him four times, including once in the back. The shot to his spine severed his vena cava and 80% of the nerves to his lower extremities, paralyzing both legs.

“Major Haynes joined the military after seeing the horrific events that unfolded on September 11, 2001,” says NWFA President and CEO, Michael Martin. “After serving in his Marine Corps JROTC class, he earned a scholarship to Georgia Military College, where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and deployed to Afghanistan. He has faced a long and painful recovery since his injury, but is now able to stand and walk for short periods of time with adaptive equipment. We’re honored to partner with Allegheny Mountain Harwood Flooring to provide flooring for his new home.”

In addition to the 43 homes already completed, NWFA currently is working with its members to source wood flooring for 16 additional R.I.S.E. homes in various stages of planning and construction. Currently, 135 NWFA member companies have donated product, logistics, and installation services in locations throughout the United States, with a total value of more than $4.56 million. A list of all NWFA R.I.S.E. participating companies can be found at http://www.nwfa.org/giving-back.aspx.

By the end of this year, 70 specially adapted smart homes will be completed or underway through the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program. To learn more about the program, and how you and/or your company can get involved, contact the NWFA at 800.422.4556, or e-mail them at anita.howard@nwfa.org.

The National Wood Flooring Association is a not-for-profit trade organization, with more than 3,200 member companies world-wide, dedicated to educating consumers, architects, designers, specifiers and builders in the uses and benefits of wood flooring. The NWFA is located at 111 Chesterfield Industrial Boulevard, Chesterfield, MO 63005, and can be contacted at 800.422.4556 (USA & Canada), 636.519.9663 (local and international), or at www.nwfa.org.

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