When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. - Hunter S. Thompson

30 October 2006

Project Valour-IT needs your help

Project Valour-IT (Voice-Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops) is part of Soldiers' Angels, a volunteer group on an important mission: outfitting severely injured Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines with laptops that can be used with adaptive devices, so that they can communicate with their families and friends via the Internet.

These folks are good at what they do. They've got the cost down for the complete rig to $800 - that'll buy a laptop setup for a wounded vet. But unfortunately, demand for these units is outstripping supply right now, and there's a fund drive on.

Bloggers are teaming up to raise $180,000 to buy laptops for our wounded troops, and we at enrevanche are doing our part.

Although I've never served, and I'm not part of the milblogger community, I have some good friends who are Navy family, and enrevanche, for the duration, has signed on with Team Navy (if they'll have me), as so far there's no team for former defense contractors (which is just as well, as we'd probably absorb all the money in time and materials cost overruns... okay, bad joke.)

In fact, every cent that Valour-IT raises goes to buy equipment; time and services are being donated by some very generous geeks.

If you have a spare $800 (or some multiple of this) to give, that's wonderful: you've just bought a new laptop for a wounded soldier.

Even if you don't, though, surely you've got $20 or $50 or $100 or so that you could contribute to the cause?

You may well have personal misgivings about what's going on in Iraq right now, but I hope you don't have a problem with offering some support and respect and love to a wounded veteran.

There's a donation button at the top right-hand side of your computer screen. Please give generously.

(And if you're a blogger, please join the team here.)

Project Valour-IT (Voice-Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops)

Hat tip: Chapomatic.

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