Houston Proclaims "Homes For Our Troops Day"

January 19, 2009

HOUSTON,(GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- The City of Houston will again show its support of America's veterans by presenting Homes for Our Troops with a Proclamation declaring Homes for Our Troops Day - 2009. Houston City Councilmember Peter Brown, who is a U.S. Army veteran, will present Tom Benoit, Chief Financial Officer for Homes for Our Troops, with the Proclamation on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at Houston City Hall Rotunda. Homes for Our Troops is also generously supported by the members and volunteers of Houston-based Oilfield Helping Hands, a 501(c)(3) a non-profit, charitable organization comprised of oil & gas businesses located in Houston and the surrounding metroplex.

Homes for Our Troops, a nationwide, non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 2004, builds or modifies specially adapted homes for our most severely wounded soldiers returning home from combat with life-altering disabilities, at no cost to the veteran.

The 2nd Annual Homes for Our Troops Sporting Clays Tournament, sponsored by Energy Corporation of America, will be held Friday, January 23 and Saturday, January 24, 2009 at Baroid on the Brazos in Fulshear. Baroid on the Brazos is located just a short drive west of Houston, on the Brazos River, at 3575 Bowser Rd., Fulshear 77441. Tournament flights are 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. This event is not just for the shooter. The entire family is invited to come out and show their support of our troops. In addition to tournament play, other activities and exhibits will include:

One HFOT home costs an average of $375,000 to retrofit or build, not including the land. Each home is specifically adapted to the needs of the veteran and his or her family. Often, the veterans require more assistance than one adult can provide, so quarters are built into the home for either relatives or care-givers to assist the veteran. In many cases, voice-activated equipment is incorporated to allow the veteran to control his or her environment. Large spaces are common to allow for wheelchairs or other mobility equipment. Or when vision is lost, walls and floors are finished with different textures for easier navigation throughout the home.

It is through generous donations, volunteer help from the community, and fundraising events like this Sporting Clays Tournament, that Homes for Our Troops can build each home at no cost to the veteran.