The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), headquartered in St. Louis, MO, recently provided flooring for its 47th 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 (Ret.) Captain Greg Galeazzi took place in Boston, MA. Flooring for the project was donated by NWFA member Sheoga Hardwood Flooring, with receiving and delivery donated by Specialty Forest Products. Installation for the project was donated by C&R Flooring.
CPT Galeazzi was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in the summer of 2010. Quickly into his deployment, he volunteered to take over a platoon that lost its leader to a roadside bomb. In May 2011, he was heading back to base with his platoon after leading a foot patrol, when he was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast resulted in the loss of both of his legs, and part of his right arm. In addition to the 47 homes already completed, NWFA currently is working with its members to source wood flooring for 11 additional R.I.S.E. homes in various stages of planning and construction. Currently, 141 NWFA member companies have donated product, logistics, and installation services in locations throughout the United States, with a total value of more than $5.2 million. A list of all NWFA R.I.S.E. participating companies can be found at http://www.nwfa. org/giving-back.aspx.
In other news, powered by NWFA, Hardwood Floors Magazine has announced their first-ever Hardwood NOW Online Event this month. This event gives attendees a chance to see what is in store for 2021, stay on top of emerging trends, build knowledge, and discover new growth opportunities.
Additionally, the event will close out with an auction benefitting the NWFA Education & Research Foundation. Bidding begins on Monday, November 9, and will close on Thursday, November 19, at noon CST.
Learn more at nwfa.org.
