Concert to benefit Homes For Our Troops

During his third deployment, Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles Armstead underwent a hemipelvectomy, one of the rarest forms of lower extremity amputations in which he lost his right leg up to his pelvis.

?While at his outpost in Hamman Al Alil, Iraq on May 2, 2009, SFC Armstead did not know that an Iraqi insurgent had already killed two soldiers while infiltrating the outpost and had severely wounded the gate guard when he went to investigate a noise coming from the gate area,? according to a news release. ?As SFC Armstead came upon the scene he was shot in the stomach leaving him with internal injuries and shattering his right hip, while also causing extensive nerve and spinal damage.?

After two surgeries and six months of recovery, he was able to be transferred to a medical center closer to home, and he still undergoes therapy today.

On Nov. 12, Armstead was given the keys to a brand-new, specially adapted home built by volunteers affiliated with Homes For Our Troops, a national nonprofit organization that exists to serve those who have returned home from deployments in all branches of the military with serious disabilities and injuries since Sept. 11, 2011.

He now lives in the home with his wife, Tonia, and their three daughters, Ashley, Amber and Amauri.

?The assistance from Homes for Our Troops will give me back my independence,? Armstead said before moving into the home. ?I will be able to get around my home without assistance. In my living situation now, I am confined to a couple of rooms in the house because we have a two-story home ... A home from HFOT will eliminate that problem. ... It will be a life-changing experience for both me and my family.?

In support of Homes for Our Troops, Country Roads RV Resort in Yuma is holding a benefit concert to raise funds for the organization.

The Texas Tenors, who gained national fame on ?America's Got Talent? in 2009, will be performing at Country Roads at 3 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. on Jan. 25 with hits including country, Broadway, classical and gospel songs. All proceeds from the concert will go toward Homes for Our Troops.

Last year, residents of Country Roads raised $12,000 through a dinner and various other fundraisers to donate to the organization and this year, they are hoping to raise even more, especially since Homes for Our Troops recently announced it is planning to build a house for an injured veteran in Arizona for the first time.

Although tickets for The Texas Tenors usually range in price from $100 to $150, said Country Roads events organizer Carol Ganzer, the Yuma concerts will cost $20-$30 a ticket, depending on seating preference to allow for all veterans in the area to be in attendance with their families.

The Country Roads ballroom, where the concert will be held, can hold up to 800 people at each performance. The residents are hoping to fill up every seat and sell 1,600 tickets, Ganzer said.

?During the benefit concert, we will be honoring every veteran in attendance as well as providing a donation to our wounded veterans, so it's pretty exciting, ... and to have this here in the Yuma area where we have such a military presence, I think it's especially exciting,? said Ganzer. ?In speaking with folks locally, most are not aware of the Homes for Our Troops organization, but (they are) very impressed with (it) and interested in helping once they understand their mission.?

Those interested in attending should visit www.countryroadsyuma.com/entertainment-special-events.html to purchase tickets for the event and choose seating.

For more information about Homes For Our Troops, visit www.homesforourtroops.org, and for more information about The Texas Tenors, visit www.thetexastenors.com.

Sarah Womer can be reached at swomer@yumasun.com or 539-6858. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSSarahWomer or on Twitter at @YSSarahWomer.

Source: http://www.yumasun.com/news/home-75544-troops-homes.html

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