Tiger pitching ace Justin Verlander is throwing his support behind a new campaign dedicated to raising funds for veteran-related charities on CrowdRise, a group-funding charity website based in Royal Oak.
Verlander’s Wins for Warriors program — which provides grants to organizations that support the mental and emotional well-being of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families in Detroit as well as Richmond and Norfolk, Va. — will compete against about 50 other charities in the second annual Veterans Charity Challenge that kicks off Thursday and runs though July 3. The top three organizations will be awarded up to $20,000 through Craigconnects, founded by Craig Newmark of Craigslist. Charities will also have the opportunity to win thousands of dollars more in prizes during weekly bonus challenges.
“Wins for Warriors is focused on mental health support and addressing the stigma that exists for veterans to get the help they need,” says Alisha Greenberg, director of the charity. “We’re trying to drum up support for our focus areas through this (CrowdRise campaign) while also drawing attention to everything everyone else doing in the veteran space.”
Verlander committed $1 million to the cause when he first launched the grant program last August with Give an Hour, which asks mental health professionals to donate their services to military professionals and their families, and The Mission Continues, which helps veterans adjust to life after returning from the service, among its first recipients.
Last year, the Veterans Charity Challenge raised nearly $350,000 for different causes. For more information about the competition, click here. To learn more about Wins for Warriors, visit winsforwarriors.org.
