CORpORAl Gabriel Martinez

Transcription

1 Serving those who preserve our freedom December 2011 Happy Holiday WISHES CORpORAl Gabriel Martinez Corporal Gabriel Martinez and his wife, Kayla, were married only three months before Gabe was deployed to Afghanistan with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion (CEB) in October Another short month later on Thanksgiving Day, Gabe called Kayla with the devastating news that he had been injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) blast and medevaced out with one of his best friends. Both men lost their legs. The Semper Fi Fund assisted Gabe s family while they were in the hospital at Bethesda, so they could remain by his side while he most needed them. The Fund also helped Gabe and Kayla move their belongings to their new home in California and provided assistance to Gabe s family, allowing them to visit him when he left the hospital without having to worry about financial repercussions. Most recently, Gabe was able to purchase specialized athletic equipment and an adaptive truck, thanks to the assistance of the Semper Fi Fund. Despite the loss of his legs, Gabe continues to be an extremely positive young man, always in a good mood and wearing a smile! In no time at all, Gabe learned to walk again on his new legs and has since been very busy rock climbing, skiing, biking and handcycling. He is also an active member of Team Semper Fi. He participated in the Tunnel to Towers walk in honor of fallen firefighter Steven Siller and came in third overall, and first overall for Team Semper Fi in the Long Beach Marathon! Gabe has also competed in the Marine Corps Marathon. Corporal Gabriel Martinez While heroically standing by Gabe s side and helping him during recovery, Kayla also managed to accomplish milestones of her own. In May 2011, Kayla received her bachelor s degree. She is also very active at the hospital helping other young wives of injured service members deal with the new challenges they face. She wants to make sure they know they re not alone. Gabe is an inspiration and living proof that a wounded warrior can still live a rich and fulfilling life. He says his favorite quote is, Tough times don t last, but tough Marines do. In the case of this Marine, that is surely a fact. Gabe riding his handcycle

2 LETTER FROM OUR CHAIRMAN Board of Directors General Alfred Gray Chairman of the Board 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps Annette Conway Vice-Chairman of the Board Former 1st Lady of the Marine Corps Robert M. Bowlin Treasurer Former Chairman, Sony Music International CPA (Retired) Wendy Lethin Secretary Bonnie Amos 1st Lady of the Marine Corps John M. Dowd, Esq. US Marine ( ) Kim Foley CEO of Foley Inc. US Marine ( ) Karen Guenther President, Chief Executive Officer and Founder Major General Tom Jones Sergeant Major Carlton W. Kent 16th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Colonel Michael E. Lowe Chairman of the Investment Committee Major General James (Mike) Myatt Chairman of the Audit Committee Dr. James Wright President, Dartmouth College ( ) US Marine ( ) Peter M. Murphy, Esq. Honorary Board Member Board Member Emeritus Holidays inspire memories. This particular holiday season, in the wake of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, brings special thoughts to mind. My mind returns to 2001, as Marines and Sailors made the daring entry into Afghanistan in what has now become the longest war in America s history. Young leaders of the 2001 era are now senior leaders, having made several combat deployments to Iraq and/or Afghanistan, with family members repeatedly having to carry on at home in their absence. Today s young leaders have themselves deployed multiple times, having experienced war throughout the duration of their respective enlistments. Today s junior Marines, still in elementary and middle school when the first Marine Corps units made their way into Afghanistan in November of 2001, continue to volunteer for service, fully aware that they will likely soon face combat. As one considers the past 10 years, it s readily apparent that America ranks as a special, and most fortunate, nation to have individuals prepared to make such sacrifices. I hope and pray that the segment of the population that has not had to make such sacrifices becomes fully aware of the price borne by this very small percentage of our society. The long duration of combat operations, the repeated number of deployments required by many and the nature of the intense combat associated with counterinsurgency operations have certainly exacted a heavy toll on many Marines and Sailors. Many of those wounded in combat have sustained life-altering injuries, while large numbers face challenging and lengthy periods of recovery due to the signature injuries of combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan: traumatic brain injury (TBI) and those injuries and illnesses associated with combat stress. As one who has been a Marine for many decades now, I draw no small amount of satisfaction from my involvement in this very special organization that has as its moniker Semper Fi. We must remain Always Faithful to those who have carried such a heavy load, as many of this number will continue to pay a price for years to come. As we all take time to reflect on the past 10 years, let us please take on the challenge to encourage others to meet their personal responsibility to support those who make it possible for us to celebrate the special nature of the holiday season. Remind others that a gift to the SEMPER FI FUND goes directly to meet a specific need of a wounded warrior and/or his or her family member. God bless, and happy holidays. Al Gray General Al Gray, USMC (Ret.) 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps Chairman of the Board of Directors General James T. Conway 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps Lieutenant General Wallace Chip Gregson Jr. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Rear Admiral Richard R. Jeffries USN (Retired) Former Medical Officer of the Marine Corps Honorary board members David J. McIntyre, Jr President & Chief Executive Officer, TriWest Lynne Pace Wife of General Peter Pace, Advocate for military families General Peter Pace 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Barbara Woodbury President and Trustee, Navy & Marine Association December 2011

3 LANCE CORPORAL Matias Ferreira It was an improvised explosive device (IED) blast on Jan. 21, 2011, in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, that resulted in Lance Corporal (LCpl) and Machine Gunner Matias Ferreira sustaining a bilateral below the knee amputation and a pelvic fracture. Four days later, LCpl. Ferreira arrived at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda for a brief stay before being transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, to begin his rehabilitation. The Semper Fi Fund first began assisting the Ferreira family when his family arrived at his bedside at Bethesda. Family support grants enabled his parents to travel between the hospital and home and assisted the caregivers with necessary funds when the loss of income and military support didn t cover all bills and expenses. Matias also received a vehicle grant to help with the purchase of his 2011 Ford F150. Using his prosthetic legs, Matias has entered bike races, reached the top of a climbing wall and competed in a marathon! Matias continues his journey with a recent move into an apartment in Rockville, MD, anticipating his transition out of the Marine Corps and into the civilian community. He plans to stay in the local area to attend nursing school at Catholic University in Washington, DC, early next year. He also hopes to begin volunteering for the Rockville Fire Department and has completed his medical boards, anticipating to medically retire from the Marine Corps in January Less than a year after his injury, Matias no longer needs physical therapy. He enjoys many athletic activities like bike rides and wheelchair basketball. Matias with his family hm3 Andrew Long On Oct. 9, 2010, Andrew Long was simply doing the job he had been trained for as a Hospital Corpsman. He was on the battlefield taking casualties in a firefight in Afghanistan. While carrying a wounded Marine off the battlefield, Andrew was hit by a bullet in the spine. Because of this one bullet, Andrew became a paraplegic. But Andrew s spirits were not damaged. Since that day, he has met with the Marine he carried and continues on the road to recovery through therapy, from Bethesda and Palo Alto back to his home, and now to the VA hospital in Tampa. He is now looking to complete his current mission to walk again. The Semper Fi Fund has been there for Andrew and his family, providing grants for family support while his mom remained at his bedside for almost four months. Through the Fund, Andrew also received a therapeutic mattress, adaptive pick-up truck and assistance with his move to Tampa. Andrew remains dedicated to his mission and continues to work hard.

4 PURPLE HEART Ornament packing party In November 2011, the Semper Fi Fund started off the holiday season by hosting hundreds of volunteers and the staff from the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment for a Purple Heart ornament packing party in northern Virginia. The goal of the event was to package over 9,500 ornaments for post 9/11 Marine Corps Purple Heart recipients. With amazing effort and heart from all of the volunteers, the ornaments were packed in record time! the Semper Fi Fund logo and motto Serving Those Who Preserve Our Freedom on the back. The ornaments are shipped out to Marine Corps Purple Heart recipients all over the world so that they receive them in time for the holidays. This is the third year that the Semper Fi Fund has had the privilege of providing these special ornaments to Purple Heart recipients. The ornaments contain a rendering of the Purple Heart medal on the front, and Some of the packing crew hard at work Home Depot Foundation Gives $500,000! We are proud to announce that the Home Depot Foundation has given the Semper Fi Fund a grant for $500,000 to help us with specially adapted housing! This grant will help us fund more special adaptations to the existing homes of our most severely injured service members. Houses can often become unsafe environments for service members in wheelchairs or with other major injuries, posing significant barriers to their ability to live at home. The Home Depot Foundation s support will help us ensure that more of our injured return home to a safe living arrangement. A specially adapted bedroom and bathroom will give Cpl. Nicholson the accessibility he needs when he finally comes home. The Semper Fi Fund, with the support of the Home Depot Foundation, will be providing some of the funding needed for this project. One such project that is currently underway is for Corporal (Cpl.) Michael Nicholson, a triple amputee from Tampa, FL. As Cpl. Nicholson recovers in the hospital, members of his community have stepped up to put a specially adapted addition on his parents house. Marines work on demolition for the home addition December 2011

5 SEMPER FI ODYSSEY The Semper Fi Fund works to provide service members with new and innovative methods of support. One of our more recent programs is Semper Fi Odyssey (SFO), a six-day, holistic transition assistance course. The curriculum provides our service members, both active duty and veterans, an opportunity to gain valuable employment resources and life planning skills to assist with their re-entry into the civilian sector. Primarily focused on career advancement, SFO also reinforces the significance of mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and social well-being, to ensure participants long-term success. During the week, the participants are grouped into teams of three or four and assigned a Team Leader, a volunteer business professional who has successfully transitioned out of the military and into the civilian workplace. Team Leaders become mentors for their team, and are committed to each participant s individual progress. Through teambuilding activities, inspirational speakers and motivating interactive exercises, SFO fosters the independent living skills, social interactions and peer support needed to obtain and sustain function and meaning in civilian community settings. Since the program began, the Semper Fi Fund has facilitated 18 courses, training hundreds of transitioning service members. Due to the generosity of Semper Fi Fund donors, partners and volunteers, the Semper Fi Odyssey program is provided at no expense to the participants. In 2012, the Semper Fi Fund s goal is to host 10 sessions of SFO throughout the year. Scaling the climbing net A team participates in a motivating discussion

6 MARINE CORPS MARATHON marked another extraordinary Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) for the Fund! How is it possible that they just keep getting better, bigger, and more powerful?! Emotions ran high as community athletes were side by side with Team Semper Fi (TSF). This year, our eighth MCM, set several records largest number of handcycles (28), largest group of registered runners for the 10K and full marathon (885; 50 TSF and 835 community runners), and an amazing $718,000 raised by our athletes and special donors! It was an eventful three days Sunday morning started at 5:00 a.m., with assembling handcycles in the dark with temperatures in the 30s. And this included everyone the kids, the parents, the spouses, staff and volunteers all huddled together working hard to get our TSF athletes ready. I believe this was our coldest start ever, but that couldn t dampen the spirit, jokes or excitement. We arrived to the starting line as aircraft flew overhead, skydivers carrying the American flag fell from the sky and the national anthem played and then General Amos gave the shotgun start! Whether our athletes were on their handcycle, competing in the 10K or running the full marathon, it was a day of perseverance, pride, and the ultimate sense of accomplishment. The theme of the day was COMPETITION. How do we even begin to top this next year for MCM 2012? It s going to be a challenge, but my guess is that we will; we already can t wait to return. Hope, community, and competition are therapeutic for us all! With much love, Karen Guenther Friday night started the festivities at the 8th & I Marine Corps barracks, where Team Semper Fi members and their families got to tour the home of the Commandant of the Marine Corps and have dinner in historic Crawford Hall. It was a night of large doses of love, laughter and tears as old friends greeted each other and new friends were made. Our deepest thanks to General and Mrs. Amos, the staff of 8th & I, and Maggiano s, for making it all possible! The theme of the evening was HOPE. Saturday started out with Team Semper Fi pulling up to the doors of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to visit the patients. Watching our team motivate and inspire not only their comrades just starting their healing and recovery, but the family members at the bedsides, was a surreal and awe-inspiring experience as always. Keep smiling! Julian Torres pushes through to the finish The evening brought a beautiful pasta dinner to bring together our community athletes, Team Semper Fi and our sponsors. It never ceases to amaze me how much General Gray can touch and motivate everyone around him as he walks the room. Our deepest gratitude goes to our sponsors who made the evening possible. The theme of the day was COMMUNITY. A record number of community athletes participated this year December 2011

7 A Busy End to 2011 for Team Semper Fi What a year 2011 has been for Team Semper Fi (TSF)! The team continues to grow every day and is up to over 270 athletes. The second half of 2011 saw some of the team s largest events ever! In June, our team members followed up their amazing Warrior Games performances at the Endeavor Games in Oklahoma. The Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY, was host to the team in July for the Triathlon Training Camp. Twenty TSF athletes trained with Olympic triathlon coaches to improve their triathlon skills, just in time for August s Santa Cruz Triathlon in the chilly Pacific Ocean. The Santa Cruz Tri was TSF s largest triathlon, with 30 athletes competing! For the third year in a row, TSF headed to New York City in September for Tunnel to Towers. Again, this was our largest turnout there with 50 team members and family members. And October can only mean one thing: Marine Corps Marathon! 50 TSF athletes and 25 family members ran next to over 835 Semper Fi Fund community athletes, making the Semper Fi Fund the largest charity at the marathon! 5K in scenic Annapolis, MD. The year will finish up strong in December in Breckenridge, CO, at the Ski Spectacular. As an exciting new addition to TSF, the Jinx McCain Horsemanship Program gave athletes the opportunity to compete in the Cutting Horse Classic in July and October in Nokesville, Virginia has also been an incredible year for the TSF Elite Athlete Program. Team Semper Fi has several resident athletes at the various U.S. Olympic Training Centers around the country. TSF has been represented at numerous international competitions in preparation for the upcoming summer and winter Paralympic Games. Team Semper Fi s motto is Recovery Through Sport has shown us that not only are our athletes recovering through these sports, but they are competing and succeeding in ways they never thought possible. This team is changing the lives of these amazing athletes and touching the heart of communities across America. With 2012 approaching, the team is looking forward to another great year! TSF athlete Eric Santallena runs along the MCM race course For the fourth year, Team Semper Fi participated in the Col. Ripley Memorial Running, cycling, riding, swimming... TSF does it all!

8 Tunnel to towers Run: A New york City Weekend team got to experience the New York Yankees game, where, even though the game was called due to rain, the athletes were treated like VIPs! TSF members were also guests in the MasterCard Batter s Eye section, where the team was able to meet, and talk with Yankee alumni and get their autographs. Each team member left with a gift bag from the Yankees. Later that weekend, the team was invited to the Stephen Siller Foundation s traditional pasta dinner. The whole group at the starting line September 11, 2001, is a day that no American will ever forget. For many of us, especially our service members, that day shaped the rest of our lives. On that New York morning, firefighter Stephen Siller ran through the Brooklyn Tunnel with 60 pounds of gear on his back. He entered the World Trade Center, but along with 343 other firefighters, EMTs and police officers, he didn t make it out. Tunnel to Towers is a 5K run/walk that retraces Stephen s steps. In late September, 37 Team Semper Fi (TSF) A NEW VAN FOR A FAMily athletes and 13 family members traveled to New York and ran side by side with a record 30,000 people to honor the men and women who sacrificed their lives on that day. While Tunnel to Towers may not be the most physically challenging event for the team, it is by far one of the most rewarding. In New York, the team also had an opportunity to be the first to watch the movie Dolphin Tale in 3D, which is the amazing story of a resilient dolphin with a prosthetic tail. The next evening the This year was particularly meaningful because it marked the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and the team had the privilege of visiting the 9/11 memorial. Many of our service members joined the military because of that fateful day in September. This event helps validate the sacrifice each of our service members has made for our great country and has forever left an impression on our team. With three young daughters, Gunnery Sergeant John Hayes and his wife Janel are kept plenty busy! The Semper Fi Fund was pleased to be able to help the Hayes family purchase a new van with modifications, enabling John to participate more fully in family life. (left) Adaptations include a lift gate for John s wheelchair Janine Canty of the SFF poses with John in his van December 2011

9 CORPORAL Anthony McDaniel While serving with 1st Battalion 11th Marines in August 2010, Corporal Anthony McDaniel stepped on a pressure plate IED on foot patrol in Afghanistan, forever changing his life. That step resulted in the amputation of both legs above the knee and amputation of his left hand above the wrist. While Anthony was bravely recovering from his injuries at Bethesda, Semper Fi Fund was there to support him and his family by providing family support that allowed them to stay with Anthony when he needed them the most. That support continued when Anthony was transferred to Naval Medical Center San Diego. Despite the catastrophic nature of his injuries, Anthony continues to remain inspiringly positive. In no time, he was walking again and independent. He has always been a positive and independent person and attributes that to his upbringing. With a mother always there for him, pushing and encouraging him to stay that same positive and independent person, Anthony carries on no matter what challenges come his way. An LSU fan, Anthony poses with some team gear STAFF SERGEANT Jason Ross Jason Ross is a Marine, a husband, a father, a son and a brother. He takes on each of these roles with pride. As a Marine, Jason is a highly trained explosive ordinance device (EOD) technician. On his third deployment in Afghanistan, an IED blast in March 2011 changed his life forever. This event left Jason clinging to life and his family scrambling to be at his side in Germany. Semper Fi Fund was with Jason s family at every step during this trying time. From the time his parents awaited his arrival at the hospital, through each phase of his recovery from double leg amputation, a Semper Fi Fund caseworker was there to make sure the family s needs were taken care of and explain how the Fund could assist. his family only he could fulfill: supportive husband to a wife who is also an active duty Marine; father to two little girls waiting to be held by their daddy; son to proud parents leaving their lives behind in California; and brother to three other men struggling with the fact that their brother was starting a new phase of life without his legs. Jason was promoted to Staff Sergeant while in his hospital bed with family by his side, but he does not let his injury define or limit him. His leadership and mentorship is evident as he talks with newly injured service members to give them hope and inspiration. I can t ever fully express my gratitude for all the help my family has received from the Semper Fi Fund. This has been the most difficult time in my life, but the Semper Fi Fund has done a wonderful job reminding me that there are those who care, and that I am not alone. It has made a tremendous difference and has helped put a lot of my fears to rest. My sincerest thank you. Cpl. Bridgette Ross USMC Jason survived the blast and an eight-month stay in Bethesda battling infections, several complications and tough surgeries. During this time he continued to play the important roles in Jason s wife, parents and brother were proud to attend his Purple Heart ceremony

10 LONG, HAPPY LIVES REQUIRE LIFELONG SUPPORT Since 2004, the Semper Fi Fund has been helping thousands of the U.S. Armed Forces injured and critically ill service members and their families. When our American heroes need financial support the most, we are ready to deliver. The ideal that drives our efforts is simple: As much as these heroes have sacrificed, they deserve the best care and support in their hour of need. The severity of sustained injuries and the impact of that severity on service members future needs are growing concerns for the Fund. Over the last few months, service members with double and triple amputations have made up the majority of our new requests for assistance. Currently, in our nation s military and VA hospitals and outpatient facilities, the Semper Fi Fund assists hundreds of amputees and thousands of other service members with severe internal injuries and complications. The Fund has already assisted over 6,800 service members with more than 37,000 grants, but the needs keep growing. The road to recovery or rehabilitation can be long and costly when living with severe injuries. Each service member requires different support, but the Fund provides each catastrophically injured service member, on average, $100,000 in the first five years. Some injuries exist for a lifetime, and we plan to be there until each service member s needs end. A lifetime of support could total $700,000 $1,000,000 per service member. Specific programs also have financial needs. Some examples, based on current level of care and caseload: Home modifications are important long-term needs that ensure wheelchair-bound service members and those with catastrophic injuries have a safe place to live their new normal lives. The number of requests for housing assistance has nearly doubled in one year. $10 million will help meet this increasing need for the next five years. To send 30 children of wounded service members to the Semper Fi Fund Kids Camp costs approximately $35,000. Our goal for the summer of 2012 is to have four camps, at an total cost of $140,000. To provide one full session of our Semper Fi Odyssey transition assistance course, helping injured service members transition into civilian life, costs $45,000. Our goal is 10 courses each year, at a cost of $450,000. Even with VA authorized assistance, modified vehicle costs vary widely. As the long-term needs of our catastrophically injured service members begin to surface, we estimate that over the next 10 years we will spend $18 million on adaptive vehicle assistance. And the biggest number of all: $70 million is our estimated demand of current levels of support for the next five years. We thank you for your support, and we ask you to please continue to consider the Semper Fi Fund and our country s heroes in your holiday giving and throughout the year. Ways to Give While you can always give online or by writing a check, take a look at some other ways people are supporting injured service members through the Semper Fi Fund s assistance programs. Check our website for information on: Hosting a Fundraiser Memorial and Tribute Gifts Matching Gift Programs Corporate Support Opportunities Planned Giving Becoming a Community Athlete Connect with us on these social networking sites: Facebook: facebook.com/semperfifund YouTube: youtube.com/semperfifund Twitter: twitter.com/semperfifund LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/injuredmarine-semper-fi-fund December 2011

11 A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER Dear Semper Fi Fund friends and family, Our heartfelt thanks to you for your continued support of our mission! With your unwavering support, we have been able to make a difference in the lives of over 6,800 Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Coastguardsmen, as well as thousands of their family members as they care for their loved ones. Our case work needs have grown 40% since this time last year, and the medevacs continue to arrive stateside from Afghanistan. Special Thanks to Our Marine Corps Marathon Sponsors Your support has made a tremendous difference in the lives of our young service members who have bravely served their country during a critical time in history. You, and all who have supported the Semper Fi Fund over the years, have been a part of these moments, listed below, and thousands of other miraculous moments during this last year: A dad watching his son, a former USMC Sergeant who has lost both legs, take the Gold medal in sitting volleyball at the Warrior Games A Marine, now a triple amputee, reading to his baby from his hospital bed Newlyweds, one recently released from over a year s hospitalization at Walter Reed, turning the doorknob to their new adaptive home A 19-year-old Soldier smiling from behind the wheel of his newly adapted vehicle A mom, sitting at her daughter s bedside during an estimated 6-month hospitalization, without having to return to work A Marine suffering from severe PTSD, opening up for the first time in years at our horsemanship clinic A young Marine, now a quadruple amputee, feeling the independence of activating a device to call the nurse to his bedside A 12-year-old son of a wounded Sailor bonding at camp with another child, the same age, and also living with a wounded parent A young Soldier, at one time suicidal, now competing on an international level in Beijing A Marine healing from Traumatic Brain Injury, coaching a group of 8th grade girls during their varsity sports season...and so many others that have given our injured and critically ill service members the highest quality of life possible! We hope you ve enjoyed reading our latest updates and news, and you ve seen that whatever the need, our team is right there to assist. Your support is more important than ever in helping us remain faithful to those who have gone in harm s way. On behalf of the entire Semper Fi Fund, we are forever grateful for your financial support and love for our young veterans and their families. Bless you ALL for your belief in our mission of serving those who preserve our freedom. Wishing you and your family a warm and Happy Holiday Season! All of my best, Karen Guenther Karen Guenther Founder, President, CEO Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund Dear Semper Fi Fund, I m not even sure where or even how to begin to thank you enough for your help. When we ended our conversation today, I felt as if a rock was lifted off of my back. It was almost as if I had taken my first deep breath in a real long time. Today I was able to give my husband some good news, and it was the best feeling ever! It was all because of the help from our caseworker and the Semper Fi Fund. I can only hope that one day we will be able to do the same for another family in need. Thank you again and GOD BLESS YOU!! -Wife of an injured Marine

12 MAILING ADDRESS Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund 825 College Blvd., Suite 102 PMB 609 Oceanside, CA Founded in 2004 Awarded over 37,000 grants totaling over $56 million 83% of all grants provided to Sergeants and below Donation and Support Information Donations may be made online: 3.68% 1.58% Please send check donations to: Semper Fi Fund 825 College Blvd., Suite 102 PMB 609 Oceanside, CA % Program Expenses Fundraising Expenses Admin Expenses For any additional information, please For donations, the Fund s federal tax ID number is Source: Fiscal Year 2011 Audited Financials. A+ ranking from the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) Highest Four Star Ranking from Charity Navigator Go directly to our mobile donation page! Scan this barcode using your smartphone and a code reader application. The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.