Supporting the Troops ...
includes supporting those who come home wounded
"Men With a Heart" Bachelor Auction
Bunky's Friends for Sale!
To benefit Sgt. Arthur "Bunky" Woods
Saturday, February 10, 2007
6:30 p.m.
Front Royal Fire Hall
Tom Eshelman, Auctioneer
About Bunky:
Sgt. Arthur “Bunky” Leo Woods IV graduated from Warren County High School in 2001 and enlisted in the Army. His goal was to complete his 4 years of service with the military and then attend Virginia Tech to obtain a degree in Landscape Architecture and return to Front Royal, VA, to pursue his career. When his tour of duty was up, the Army had issued a stop loss order until August 2007. Always the one to make the best of a situation, Sgt. Woods chose to attend Army Ranger School and became an assault team leader for the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division.
Sgt. Woods was near the end of his second tour of duty in Iraq and due to return to Fort Campbell in November when he was shot by a sniper on August 26, 2006. The bullet entered the back of his neck on the right side and made a diagonal cut through and came out the left jawbone. He had emergency surgery in Iraq to reconstruct his left jawbone, and to repair his esophagus and pharynx. At Walter Reed Army Medical Center he had spine-stabilizing surgery. Although the bullet did not sever the spinal cord, it caused traumatic injury to his spine and he is currently paralyzed from the neck down. He is in rehabilitation in Richmond at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center.
Sgt. Woods was applying for early release from the army so that he could attend the fall 2007 semester at Virginia Tech. The sniper's bullet changed all that.
Described by his friends as one of the toughest individuals they know, both in ability and personal determination, they are hoping that he will regain the use of his limbs. That outcome, they say, is in the hands of Bunky, the doctors, and God.
Bunky has also been described by his friends as the person they most respect. It is that respect and friendship that has motivated them to do the best they can for him. The “Men With a Heart” Bachelor Auction is their way to raise funds to assist Bunky and his family in the many expenses involved with his recovery and care. The biggest expense will be the purchase of a van that can be equipped with a wheelchair lift and, second, the renovation of his dad’s house to make the bathroom handicapped equipped and a wheelchair ramp from the driveway to the house.
Bunky’s parents and family have been at his side 24/7 since his injury. Their goal is to give him as much support and care as they can so that his recovery has the greatest chance of success. His mother Connie, a teacher at Ressie Jeffries Elementary School, has exhausted all her leave and is taking a leave of absence for the remainder of the school year. She has the day shift with Bunky at the Rehab Center. His dad Art is a civil engineer with Burgess & Niple in Chantilly, VA. He has been able to work some out of their Richmond office when Bunky’s sister Mary Lou is able to come down and help out. Art has the night shift with Bunky.
It is our goal to try to take some of the stress off of the family by assisting them with the items needed so that Bunky can come home to his family when he is through with rehabilitation. We are asking the community (businesses, friends, co-workers and any other folks who can help) to help with the auction.
This is what we need:
- Businesses or families to sponsor one of our bachelors. This money will be used to help advertise the event and pay for event expenses. Sponsors will be listed in the Bachelor Auction brochure and in all of our advertising.
- Donations of items for the “date packages.” Volunteers will be putting together a date package for each bachelor. We are looking for Restaurant Certificates, Concert Tickets, Movie Tickets, Golf Packages, Event Tickets, Wine Tastings, Limousine Rides, Spa Treatments, Skiing, Speedway Tickets, Hot Air Balloon Rides, Airplane Rides, Sporting Events, Weekend Getaways or anything that could be used to put together a “date package” for the bachelors. All businesses and donors will be listed in our Bachelor Auction brochure unless they wish to remain anonymous.
- Cash donations. This money would be used to purchase anything that we didn’t receive to help fill out the date packages. Any amount would be greatly appreciated.
- Silent Auction Items. This can be anything you would like to donate that you think people would like to bid on. The silent auction will be held during the 1st hour of the bachelor auction. The first hour of the Bachelor auction will be a social hour with drinks and hors d’oevres so that the bidders and bachelors can mingle. Bids on silent auction items will also be accepted prior to the Bachelor Auction in case you are unable to attend. A list of items will be available at least one week prior to the auction and we hope to have them all listed in the Bachelor Auction Brochure.
- Bachelors. Any single men (or legally separated) are encouraged to make an application. Applications will be reviewed and voted on by the committee. Applications are available by contacting any committee member.
- Single ladies to bid! Ladies it’s your turn. Buy yourself the date of your dreams. Ladies know that the kind of guys who stand up for Bachelor Auctions are good guys! Low on funds? Encourage your friends and family to chip in to help you win!
- Volunteers. Anyone interested in helping on the bachelor auction committee.
- General Donations. If you want to make a donation directly to the trust fund that has been established for Bunky, you can do that by sending a check made payable to: The Sgt. Arthur “Bunky” Woods Trust Fund. C/O Heather Tweedie, CPA, 316 Mountain Lodge Drive, Winchester, VA 22602.
Please, help us make this Bachelor Auction a success! Sgt. Arthur “Bunky” Woods is an exceptional person who through serving our country has been tragically injured in the line of duty. It’s time we step up to the plate to help one of our own!
For further information on donations or the bachelor auction, please feel free to contact one of the committee members below.
Martha Buracker – Chairman 636-1879 buracker@adelphia.net
Dusty Cornwell – 683-1485 dcornwel@vt.edu
Heather Hadley 434-607-6801 shine_on312@yahoo.com
Chris Merchant 636-1102 cjmerchan@radford.edu
Debbie LLewelyn 636-6606
Debbie Morfit debra.morfit@usbh.com
Christi Boies 671-6494 christiboies@mris.com
Lance Cpl. Nate Salatin, USMC
