JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Wounded Wear is a national company that helps bring life back to wounded warriors. Its goal is to help those men and women rediscover the hero within.
"There's a stigma with the wounded veteran that they believe that their sacrifice has been forgotten or people don't care," said retired Marine Cpl. Tyler Southern.
Southern, a triple amputee, said that stigma can be destroyed if people will show their support for organizations like Wounded Wear.
Southern works with fellow wounded warrior and Navy Lt. Jason Redman, who is also the founder of Wounded Wear. After being wounded in a firefight in Iraq in 2007, it took Redman four years and 40 surgeries to recover.
When recovering, it was hard for him to fit in his usual clothes. He said he knows other wounded warriors face the same issue and wants Wounded Wear to provide comfort as well as encouragement to the nation's heroes.
"I just thought, you know, we can do a better job to raise the awareness across this country and the sacrifice that so many men and women are making for freedom," Redman said.
Southern and Redman are two of nine employees throughout the nation who promote and host events to raise money for Wounded Wear. One of those events happens to be in Jacksonville this weekend -- the Hold 'Em for Heroes poker run on Saturday from 9-11 a.m. The event makes stops through Jacksonville, and bikes or cars and trucks can participate.
Southern is hoping there are more than 100 bikes Saturday and wants everyone to come out and show wounded warriors just how important they are.
"Men and women will understand that what they did meant something for everybody and that we have not forgotten," he said.
For more information on Saturday's event, including how to preregister, go to WoundedWear.org.