PHOENIX — KTAR’s community spotlight this month is shining a light on the way a financial services company supports the Travis Mills Foundation.
Bright Wealth Management backs the veteran-led foundation, which helps veterans and their families overcome physical and emotional obstacles through different programs.
In addition, the foundation has expanded to provide assistance to first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Founder Travis Mills was on his third deployment to Afghanistan when he was critically injured by a roadside bomb during foot patrol, resulting in the loss of portions of all four limbs.
“I was able to get prosthetic arms and legs, given the chance to live life to fullest even with my situation and I was also taken on these really cool trips where I learned how to do kayaking, downhill mountain biking and snowboarding and things I thought I would never be able to do again,” Mills told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Monday.
“And with those trips, my wife and I thought, we should … show the love and support we’ve been shown. So our new mission in life and direction and purpose was to give back to veterans and their families that have been through situations like mine.”
The Travis Mills Foundation has its headquarters in Maine and holds free retreats for veterans and their families to provide them with memorable experiences.
“We bring out families from all across the nation that have been through physical injury due to service and we show them how to do things adaptively,” Mills said. “You come out there and we have people on wheelchairs doing high rise ropes courses, and we have a whole family unit.”
Mills stated that he believes it is crucial to have the families involved to show them they can be just as active as others and help them regain their confidence.
Other activities include archery, kayaking, cycling, ice fishing and horseback riding.
The foundation also partners with a program called Warrior PATHH, which provides combat veterans and first responders with a post-traumatic growth-based training program. It starts with a seven-day initiation on-site in Maine and continues with 90 days of training by the PATHH guides.
Mills calls himself and the soldiers who go through the retreats and programs “recalibrated” veterans as they have adapted to their “new normal.”
The foundation has served 2,329 veteran families over its 10 years of operation and has received more than 25 awards and honors.
“I’m so happy to have everyone support our foundation … and make sure that we’re able to fulfill our mission of serving veterans and their families and first responders and showing them there’s life after injury,” Mills said. “But we couldn’t do it without people like Matt Dagis and Bright Wealth Management. So I’m just thrilled to have him as a partner in this mission of giving back.”
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