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UFC Foundation
UFC recently partnered with Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors (JAH4WW) to provide its second custom home gym and physical therapy room for a disabled veteran as part of the non-profit organization’s mortgage-free program.
“We are forever grateful to UFC and their continued commitment to providing home gyms to critical wounded combat veterans and making sure they have everything they need in their road to recovery,” said Alex Karalexis, Executive Director – Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors. “The impact UFC is having on these veterans is tremendous.”
Josh Wege, a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal became the most recent recipient of a new mortgage-free residence in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Wege, who enlisted in the U.S. Marines in 2008, served in Afghanistan as a member of the military police. During his deployment, his light armored vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device rendering him a bilateral below the knee amputee.
Following his recovery, Wege was awarded a Purple Heart and the Navy / Marine Corps Achievement Medal for bravery.
Today, Wege inspires other through the USA Patriots Amputee Athletics softball team, mentoring amputee kids as a founding member.
Throughout the years, playing softball for The USA Patriots, (a non-profit organization featuring a competitive slow-pitch softball team made up of military veterans who have lost limbs) has offered companionship, regularity, and a means of continuing to be active despite physical challenges.
Wege becomes the fourth Patriots player to receive a home through JAH4WW. It marks the beginning of a new chapter for Wege and allows him to provide for his family. The UFC provided gym equipment to support his strength training.
Established in 2009 by NFL Hall of Famer Jared Allen following a USO tour of U.S. military bases in the Middle East, JAH4WW is a nonprofit dedicated to building mortgage-free, fully accessible homes for America’s wounded combat veterans.
Since its inception, the organization has completed 27 mortgage-free homes, with four more currently under construction. Every home is custom designed to meet the unique needs of the veteran, restoring independence, safety, and quality of life.
UFC and JAH4WW will continue to collaborate on injury-specific custom gyms and/or physical therapy rooms for veterans who select the option as part of their new home. To learn more, please visit JAH4WW.
UFC’s corporate social responsibility program, #UFCInTheCommunity, strategically collaborates with partners, sponsors, and athletes to develop additional charitable programs and funding sources to help bolster and inspire the local community. For more information, please visit UFCFOUNDATION.