>>
>> WE
>> WE LIVE IN A PROUD MILITARY TOWN AND THIS MORNING WE ARE HELPING OUR HEROES DURING THE
HOLIDAY CBS AIDE JOINING THE
WARRIOR FOUNDATION OF FREEDOM
STATION.
A.M. 760 AND I HEART RADIO FOR
OUR ANNUAL GIVE A THON.
NEWSAT IT'S CHRIS GROWE IS LIVE
IN SOUTH PARK WITH HOW YOU CAN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE ALL
MORNING LONG AND THE AMOUNT OF
MONEY THAT HAS BEEN RAISED IS
INCREDIBLE SO FAR.
IT IS TRULY INCREDIBLE WE'RE
APPROACHING THAT ONE MILLION
DOLLAR GOAL AND THEN AFTER WE
GET THERE THAT GOAL WILL BE
INCREASED.
SO FOR THE PEOPLE AT HOME DOOR
YOU STILL GOT A CHANCE TO GIVE.
AND REMEMBER THIS IS THE
FOUNDATION THAT NOT ONLY HELPS
THOSE MILITARY MEMBERS, THOSE
THAT ARE EITHER INJURED OR ILL
AND THEN THOSE VETERANS BUT
ALSO THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF A
LOT OF THESE WARRIORS ARE
COMING HOME AND ACTUALLY
JOINING US RIGHT NOW THE WIFE
OF A MILITARY MEMBER WHO HAS
HELPED ALL THE WAY BACK IN 04.
YOU WERE TELLING US LESLEY
BETTERNESS LESNIK, IF YOU COULD
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR
STORY AND YOUR HUSBAND'S STORY
AND EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN
2004.
THANK.
2004. THANK. AND.
THANK. AND. BACK IN 2004 HE WAS OUT ON
PATROL IN IRAQ WHERE THEY WERE
SETTING ABOUT E.S.P FOR
CHECKPOINT WHEN THEIR HUMMER
DETONATED A DOUBLE DECK
ANTI-TANK MINE.
AND HE WAS BLOWN 60 METERS FROM
HIS HAMMER AND HE SUSTAINED A
HEAD TRAUMA BROKEN BACK,
SHATTERED RIB CAGE, TWO BROKEN
LEGS, PUNCTURED LUNG AND
ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN RIGHT
LEG AMPUTATION AND IT WAS
ACTUALLY THE FIRST WAVE TO COME
TO THE WEST COAST IN 04 THAT
BALBO.
SO HOW DID THE WARRIOR
FOUNDATION FREEDOM STATION HELP
KIND OF BRIDGE GAP BETWEEN HIM
COMING HOME AND THEN ADJUSTING
AS HE AS YOU SAID DID?
HE'S RECENTLY RETIRED.
RIGHT.
SO THAT WAS A BIG TRANSITION
FOR US WITH HIM BEING RETIRED
WITH THE RETIREMENT PROCESS.
THERE'S A GAP AS FAR AS MONEY
WISE.
SO WE KNEW THAT WAS GONNA
HAPPEN.
SO WE SAVED UP FOR A YEAR.
BUT DURING THAT TRANSITION
MONEY GOT TIGHT BECAUSE OF
COURSE, YOU KNOW, THINGS
HAPPEN.
THERE WERE SOME HICCUPS IN THE
TRANSITION PROCESS.
THERE WAS A THINGS THAT
HAPPENED WITH THE V.A.
TRANSITION TO WHERE THINGS WERE
INCORRECT.
SO DURING THAT TIME WE COULDN'T
GET COMPENSATION.
SO OUR SAVINGS STARTED
DWINDLING AWAY.
WELL, IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME
LAST YEAR THAT THE WARRIOR
FOUNDATION CAME TO THE RESCUE.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW WE WERE GONNA
OUR HOUSE PAYMENT.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW WE WERE GONNA
MAKE, YOU KNOW, OUR VEHICLE
PAYMENTS.
DIDN'T KNOW HOW I WAS GOING TO
DO CHRISTMAS.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO ANY OF
THAT.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE FREEDOM
STATION STEPPED IN AND HELPED
US.
WERE YOU SURPRISED BY THE
GENEROSITY OF I MEAN DID YOU
KNOW ABOUT THE WARRIOR
FOUNDATION FREEDOM STATION
BEFORE IT DID?
>> I DID AND I KNEW SANDY AND I
KNEW THE HISTORY BUT WE WEREN'T
IN NEED DURING THAT TIME AND I
ALWAYS PRAISED, YOU KNOW, WHAT
THEY WERE DOING WAS ALWAYS
APPRECIATED.
ALWAYS ME AS A PART OF THINGS.
HOWEVER, WE WEREN'T IN NEED AND
THIS WAS A TIME WHERE WE WERE
REALLY IN NEED AND WE DIDN'T
KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO FOR
THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING AT
HOME.
>> WHAT WOULD WHAT WOULD BE
YOUR PITCH TO CONTINUE TO
DONATE TO GET TO THAT ONE
MILLION DOLLAR GOAL?
I MEAN THAT LAST PUSH.
WHAT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO IT
HELPS IT MAKES AN IMPACT.
>> IT MAKES LIFE EASIER.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW
WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO COME UP
WITH THINGS OR YOU DON'T KNOW
HOW YOU GONNA PAY YOUR HOUSE OR
YOUR CAR PAYMENT OR EVEN HAVE
CHRISTMAS KIDS, THAT'S A BIG
RELIEF.
ON TOP OF WHATEVER YOU'RE
DEALING WITH.
SO I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING.
AND I HOPE YOUR GIFT BECAUSE IT
REALLY DOES HELP.
IT REALLY DOES.
AND IT REALLY IS SO, SO EASY TO
GIVE GUY SIX ONE NINE FIVE
SEVEN EIGHT TWO SIX ONE FIVE.
THANK YOU LESLIE SO MUCH FOR
SHARING YOUR STORY, YOUR
HUSBAND'S STORY, YOUR FAMILY'S
STORY.
AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING
THAT YOUR FAMILY HAS DONE FOR
US.
>> APPRECIATE YOU GUYS.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
>> AND AGAIN, GUYS, I JUST GAVE
OUT THAT NUMBER.
IT'S BEEN ON YOUR SCREEN.
AND ANOTHER ONE YOU CAN ALSO
WRITE DOWN CBSA DOT COM SLASH
DONATE SO MANY WAYS TO GIVE SO
MUCH TIME LEFT UNTIL SEVEN P.M.
TODAY THEY ARE TAKING THOSE
DONATIONS.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU IF