Home Base Warrior Health Program Receives $125K Donation

Tampa FL

16 November, 2021

1:50 PM

Description

Press release from TGH: Nov. 16, 2021 The Valspar Championship and Copperhead Charities are donating $125,000 to Tampa General Hospital's (TGH) Foundation for the new Home Base Warrior Health and Fitness program offered through the TGH Fitness Center. This generous donation will help support Tampa Bay area military veterans in making positive changes in their lives by improving their health and well-being. Announced in October, Tampa General Hospital and Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital program, formed a partnership to create a free health and fitness program specifically for veterans. The Home Base Warrior Health and Fitness program is based at the TGH Fitness Center, located on the hospital's main campus and led by trained fitness specialists and dietitians. This program is designed to improve health and well-being through supervised physical exercise, education about healthy eating and living a healthy lifestyle, along with ways to incorporate stress management that emphasize the health benefits of physical activity. "We are deeply appreciative of the Valspar Championship and Copperhead Charities for their generosity in supporting this program which will make a real difference in the lives of veterans. Breaking down barriers to healthy lifestyles is key to our vision of being the safest and most innovative health system in America. We are humbled and believe it is a privilege to help veterans enhance their lives by providing resources to improve their health and wellness," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. The donation will support program outreach. This will include the addition of a veteran program outreach coordinator and a veteran wellness coordinator to help connect and serve our local heroes through the Home Base Warrior Health and Fitness program at Tampa General. "These newly funded staff positions will provide the ability to recruit veterans for the program and support them in developing healthy habits," said Kim Christine, administrator, community health and wellness, Tampa General. Home Base Warrior Health and Fitness program participants receive a 90-day complimentary membership to the TGH Fitness Center, which includes up to three complimentary one-hour training sessions per week. Participants will consult with a TGH registered dietitian and take part in a hands-on, step-by-step cooking class. They will also receive unlimited access to virtual and live group fitness classes and can use the TGH Fitness Center app for tracking health metrics, scheduling of sessions and more. The 2021 Valspar Championship, Tampa Bay's PGA TOUR event, generated charitable contributions and initiatives that come through the sponsoring organization, Copperhead Charities. Funds originate through ticket sales and other tournament proceeds. More than 50 area charities will benefit from the 2021 tournament proceeds. "Our goal at Copperhead Charities is to use tournament net proceeds to positively impact the lives of those in our community. Our tournament has a long-standing relationship with Tampa General and a deep history in supporting the men and women who have served our country in the military. It was a natural fit for us to help spearhead funding to launch veteran outreach services for the Home Base Warrior Fitness program at Tampa General. We are honored to support these efforts," commented Valspar Championship/Copperhead Charities General Chair Ronde Barber. The program creates an open enrollment that welcomes all veterans regardless of ability or discharge status. Veterans are required to register in order to participate. "The generous support from the Valspar Championship and Copperhead Charities will be instrumental in establishing the third Home Base Warrior Fitness program in the country," said Armando Hernandez, program director, Home Base SWFL and U.S. Marine veteran. "We have seen significant changes in the physical and mental wellness of our participants in our locations in Boston and Southwest Florida, including improved physical health and serving as a portal to more complex care of injuries like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury." The first group of the Home Base Warrior Health and Fitness program at Tampa General started last month and participants are receiving: Fitness evaluations and a personally tailored exercise program Nutrition and meal planning counseling Health education Warrior yoga and resiliency training 90 days of group training sessions The Valspar Championship and Copperhead Charities focus on two primary goals – bringing a world-class professional sporting event to the Tampa Bay area and a charitable mission to use tournament proceeds to help meet community needs. "Before moving to Tampa Bay to work on the Valspar Championship, I was involved in the Home Base program in Boston. I saw firsthand the care, compassion and results of the program in helping warriors and families impacted by the burden of the 'Invisible Wounds of War.' It is so important to remain a grateful nation and we are confident that this tournament support will help those in need," added Valspar Championship Tournament Director Tracy West. The TGH Fitness Center is located at 1 Davis Blvd., Tampa. To learn about the Home Base program at Tampa General, visit Home Base Warrior Health and Fitness Program at Tampa General. For more information on future groups, contact Jaime Fernandez at 305-972-9951 or [email protected], or visit Homebase.org. This press release was produced by TGH. The views expressed here are the author's own.