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DALLAS – Army Sergeant John J. Savage III, 41,
of Asheboro, N.C., has been selected as a grant recipient of the Fallen
Patriot Fund, established on April 16, 2003, by the Mark Cuban Foundation,
to help families of U.S. military personnel who were killed or seriously injured
during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Savage will receive $6,500 from the Foundation
to assist with living expenses after he was electrocuted in Baghdad, Iraq on
June 19, 2003. Savage has a wife, Eugenia, 36, and four children, Justin, 15,
Kendra, 10, Joseph, 8, and Lilly, 3.
Savage
was an Army
Reservist called to active duty in January 2003 where he served as Information
Management Officer for the Iraqi Assistance Center at the Baghdad Convention
Center with the 352nd Civil Affairs Command.
“Wounded soldiers do not realize what
impact financially getting wounded in war and having to wait for VA or Social
Security benefits paperwork to be processed and approved. While waiting, you
have no chance of getting a paycheck and things get worse, which puts your
family is in distress financially,” said Savage. ”At some point you begin to
lose hope, and this grant is that hope. This grant will help make things a
little easier financially during this waiting period.”
The fund has approved more than
$715,000 in grants to 37 families across the United States since its inception.
Donations are still being accepted and can be made at any of the 5,700 Bank of
America banking centers; through the Web site at www.fallenpatriotfund.org, or
mailed to the Fallen Patriot Fund, c/o Bank of America Private Bank,
TX1-492-19-09, P.O. Box 832409, Dallas, Texas, 75283-2409. Additional
information and grant application may be obtained through the Web site.
The Mark Cuban Foundation will match
donations to the Fallen Patriot Fund dollar for dollar up to $1 million. Since
April 16, 2003, donations have been received from 48 states, Canada and Italy.
In addition, the Bank of America Foundation will match employee donations dollar
for dollar from gifts of $25 up to $5,000.
Financial resources are vital to enhancing
the sustainability of the family unit who has suffered a loss because its loved
one sacrificed him/herself for freedom. Within
that group, grant recipients will be selected in accordance with criteria
established by The Mark Cuban Foundation. All proceeds will be disbursed.
The Mark Cuban Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(C)(3) organization,
contributions to which are tax deductible.
Please contact a tax advisor for further details on charitable
contributions.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Gillian Breidenbach (Bank of America) 214.209.3122
Gillian.M.Breidenbach@bankofamerica.com
Dawn Holgate (Mark Cuban), 214.658.7170 (office)
214.878.2867 (mobile)
dawn.holgate@dallasmavs.com
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