Celebrities Pitch In To Help Raise Awareness And Funds For Veterans Fighting Invisible Wounds Of War

NEW YORK, May 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrities with long track-records of supporting our troops, including Mark Wahlberg, Rosie O'Donnell, Elizabeth Shatner, Cheyenne Jackson, Real New York Housewife Jill Kamen Zarin, Buzz Aldrin and others, pitched in through this past weekend to use their social media feeds to urge support for a drive by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund to raise $100 million from private sources to construct nine state-of-the-art NICoE Satellite Centers for the diagnosis and treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). Two of the nine centers are already under construction, in Fort Belvoir, Virginia and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

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The digital campaign was timed to the airing of a story on the CBS show "60 Minutes" on Sunday, May 5 which told the inspiring stories of military veterans and their battle against the invisible wounds of war.

"It is more important than ever that we do everything we can to support our men and women in uniform who have given of themselves for our protection and well-being," said Arnold Fisher, Honorary Chairman of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. "The American people owe them so much and we will see to it that they get the medical assistance they need to live long and fruitful lives."

The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund is also currently engaged in a social media campaign, #MakeItVisible, which encourages all Americans to lend support to the NICoE Satellite Center Effort, and to learn about the invisible wounds of war, specifically Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress. Visit www.makeitvisible.org for more information.

"Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress are invisible wounds that so many of our men and women in uniform are suffering from as they return from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. We need to make every resource and method of treatment available to them to speed their recovery," said Rich Santulli, Chairman of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.  "Working with the military, we can provide these centers that will make an untold difference in thousands of lives – not just for the injured but for their families."

The design and mission of the Satellite Centers are based on the original NICoE, opened in 2010 at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.  Operated by the Department of Defense, NICoE is the most advanced facility of its kind in the country, and is the center of the Armed Forces' efforts in researching, diagnosing and treating TBI, PTS and related injuries sustained by military personnel.

"Time and again, Americans have proven their love of this country through their commitment to our veterans," said Bill White, CEO of Constellations group and one of our nation's leading veterans affairs advocates whose firm is leading fundraising for the effort.  "We know the generosity of Americans knows no bounds, and we are confident that we will deliver these Satellite Centers for our troops, to make an untold difference in their lives."

About the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a national leader in supporting the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and their families, has provided over $150 million in support for the families of military personnel lost in service to our nation, and for severely wounded military personnel and veterans. The Fund most recently opened the National Intrepid Center of Excellence to support the research, diagnosis, and treatment of military personnel and veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI).  In 2013 the Fund launched a new $100 million campaign to build nine NICoE satellite centers at major military bases around the country.  These satellite centers will extend the care provided at NICoE to more service members and veterans suffering TBI, PTS and related afflictions.

SOURCE Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund