There were a number of “firsts” during our 2014 January Kick-Off Event. One of the most meaningful was the inclusion of a ceremony highlighting the importance of LifeWave’s commitment to giving back to the community. We like to call it “Giving Made Simple.”
This special ceremony included a formal presentation recognizing LifeWave’s $2.1 million donation of patch products to The Purple Heart Veterans of Florida, Inc., a subsidiary of the Military Order of The Purple Heart, Department of Florida (MOPH). Representing the MOPH were Commander of the state of Florida’s department of MOPH, Richard Hunt, and Commander East Pasco Chapter 705 of Florida, Earl McMillan. Thomas Burke, LifeWave Member and the initiator of LifeWave’s donation to the MOPH, was also on hand to participate in this special presentation.
Before the presentation, the audience viewed recorded testimonials from a number of United States military veterans who had been wounded in combat. Each one of them had suffered tremendous amounts of pain, often silently, until finally finding relief through LifeWave products. The testimonials provided a stark and emotionally tinged reminder of the invaluable nature of this project and the overall mission of LifeWave.
The ceremony also included two unanticipated, and very poignant, moments. The first was the induction of LifeWave President, Mike Collins (a Purple Heart recipient himself), as a lifetime member of the MOPH for his sacrifice and service to his country. To mark the occasion, Richard presented Mike with a “ceremonial” Purple Heart as a moving symbol of his membership in the organization.
The second surprise was an award presented to LifeWave Founder/CEO David Schmidt and LifeWave. David was presented with a statue of a Naval Corpsman attending to the wounded, symbolizing help given to the suffering during crucial moments of need. This was the first presentation of this award in the history of the MOPH. LifeWave is extraordinarily honored to be chosen as the inaugural recipient of this very special honor. We look forward to working with the MOPH to provide continued relief to the suffering of others.