Events to aid wounded veteran
On Sept. 25, 2011, U.S. Marine Sgt. Doug Vitale stepped on a land mine in Sangin, Afghanistan, causing him to lose both legs. In the following days, he suffered two strokes on both sides of his brain. For the past two years, he has working to recover at the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Program in Tampa, Fla.
On Saturday, friends, organizers and public well-wishers will kick off an entire week of welcome home activities that will culminate in a concert Aug. 9. The homecoming is part of a campaign to raise funds for a new, specially modified home in Peters Township for Doug and his wife, Peters Township native Alexis Vitale.
Events will kick off when Vitale arrives at the Allegheny Airport in West Mifflin Saturday afternoon. A 200-strong motorcade consisting of Patriot Guard and police motorcycles and vehicles will escort him from the airport to a public reception at 2:30 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 764, 460 Valley Brook Road, McMurray. Public parking will be provided at the Peters Township Municipal Building and Peters Township Middle School on McMurray Road.
“Welcome home week” will also include an American flag mural dedication, the unveiling of Vitale’s new smart home design and trips to Pirates batting practice and Steelers training camp, with members of both sports team sthanking Doug for his service.
Proceeds of the concert will help with construction costs of the “smart home” in Peters Township that will incorporate handicapped design and integrate technology in order to give him as much mobility as possible.
Actor Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band will perform Aug. 9 at Stage AE in Pittsburgh. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at www.OperationDoug.com.
Chris Kuban, spokesman for the project, said homes are custom-built to each veteran’s disabilities and include amenities such as a therapy rooms, elevators with double doors, lifts to help with reaching the bed, touch-screen controls, specialty bathtubs and wider hallways.
“This house is going to go far above and beyond what (Americans with Disabilities Act) requires,” Kuban said.
The house comes with a $500,000 price tag, so officials are hoping proceeds from the concert and subsequent fundraising efforts will help pay for construction costs. The Peters Township VFW Post 764 has already raised $90,000 for the construction of the new house.
Vitale formally retired from the service Monday, and after his welcome home festivities the couple will return to Tampa to continue rehabilitation until their new home is completed in 2014.