**VETS NEED BEACH HOSTS** July 12 Wounded Warriors Event, New York

**VETS NEED BEACH HOSTS**

via @nydailynews (paper) Joe Stepansky jstepansky@nydailynews.com

Program that gives wounded veterans a day at the beach is desperately seeking a few good hosts.

Fifty-two wounded warriors who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan will descend on the Rockaways the weekend of July 12 [2012] for some water sports fun and to be honored for their sacrifices.

The Wounded Warriors Project, in collaboration with the NYPD and the FDNY, is asking Rockaway residents to open their hearts and houses near Breezy Point. With a record number of vets expected to take part in the weekend of water skiing, surfing and boating, organizers are seeking families to host them.

“We understand their battles are just beginning — a lifetime of disability,” said Flip Mullen, 68, a retired firefighter and Rockaway resident who started organizing the weekend in 2004. “It’s the least we can do for these fellas.”

More wheelchair-bound soldiers are expected to attend than ever before, so volunteers from the local carpenters union have agreed to install temporary ramps if needed, Mullen said.

Chris Bain, 41, an Iraq war vet and a Wounded Warriors alum, said Rockaway residents have always been generous with their hospitality.

“These civilians open their doors and house (us) for a weekend and listen to our stories. We educated each other,” said Bain, who was injured by a mortar round in 2004 and lost almost all function in both of his hands.

Today, he considers his host family his kin.

“They were open arms to me,” he said. “Now we’re always here for each other.”

The weekend also means overcoming physical constraints that seem to make a “normal” life impossible, Bain said.

Getting on water skis gave him confidence.

“If I can do this I can do anything,” he said.

To host or donate, contact organizer Marry Ellen Olsen at (718) 634-6346

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