Ram Truck, Chrysler Foundation and Air Warrior Courage bring joy to Wounded Warriors Center

SAN ANTONIO--Dec. 16, 2013: Santa has made a special delivery at the Warrior & Family Support Center at the San Antonio Military Medical Center with the help of the Ram Truck brand and the Chrysler Foundation, according to Linda Water Nelson, sports vehicle editor of Texas Fish & Game magazine and editor of INSIDEout: Cars & Trucks.

The Center, which serves Wounded Warriors and their families, has received a 2014 Ram Promaster 2500 Series cargo van filled with toys, diapers and other supplies, plus a $25,000 grant from the Foundation. A 'no salute' zone, it provides a much-needed place for extended on-base recreational activities, referrals and rehabilitation designed to help individuals, couples and families to cope with war-related disabilities.

The donations were made to the Air Warrior Courage Foundation (501-C3) which then turned over the gifts to the Center, Nelson said.

The Foundation – which ranks among the top charities under $2-million by Charity Navigator – works closely with groups like the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association and Lake Travis Christmas Hope to provide financial assistance for military personnel needing help for medical, educational, and other expenses not covered by other military, veterans' or charitable institutions.

"We, at Ram, consider it an honor and privilege to provide the Promaster van to support service members and their families who have played a vital role in keeping America safe and free," Reid Bigland, President and CEO of Ram Truck told Nelson in an interview prior to the donation.

Nelson says that the Promaster, The Texas Auto Writers Association's Commercial Vehicle of Texas earlier this year, fills a growing niche for organizations like the Center and for businesses who need to move loose or palletized material or who need a customized interior to function as a mobile work facility, the auto writer explains.

Jody Trapasso, Senior Vice President – External Affairs for Chrysler Group LLC, and President of the Chrysler Foundation, acknowledged The Air Warrior Courage Foundation for making a difference every day in the lives of returning heroes and their families, noting that The Chrysler Foundation "is proud to support these efforts."

Adds Nelson, "This is a major gift for Air Warrior Courage Foundation that exists solely to serve. Ram and Chrysler deserve recognition for seeing the need and filling it so perfectly. "