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Center for Wounded Veterans Groundbreaking
The College of Applied Health Sciences hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Chez Family Foundation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education on November 8. Members of the Urbana-Champaign campus and University of Illinois; local, state, and regional veterans' agencies; state and federal government; and the military joined AHS faculty, staff, and students to celebrate the milestone even in the history of the center, which will provide comprehensive and integrated support services to veterans with severe and multiple disabilities as they pursue degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Ron Chez, president of the Chez Family Foundation, University of Illinois alumnus, and U.S. Army veteran, made the lead gift of $6 million toward the construction costs of the wounded veterans' center after touring Timothy J. Nugent Hall and the Beckwith Residential Support Services Program housed there. The Beckwith program assists students whose disabilities require them to have assistance with the performance of daily living tasks. Mr. Chez found the accomplishments of Beckwith participants "extraordinary," and believed that veterans returning with multiple, severe injuries deserved the same opportunity to succeed within an environment that was welcoming and comfortable.
"Coming back from military service is a very difficult transition," he said. "We have a special responsibility to those who have the courage to serve in the military and defend our country."
You can find more information about the groundbreaking here. Look for additional coverage in the next issue of Moving Forward, the AHS year-in-review magazine. To learn how you can support the Center, visit our website and Facebook page.