U.S. Veteran and Quadruple Amputee Travis Mills Announces Major Expansion to Veteran Family Retreat and Programming

ROME, Maine, September 17, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- When the Travis Mills Foundation (TMF) opened the doors to its fully accessible retreat in the summer of 2017, the goal was to host recalibrated veterans and their families for 12 weeks of the year. Since then, more than 300 veteran families have visited the retreat for a week-long barrier-free, all-expenses-paid vacation to the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine, where they can relax, recover, and reconnect.

At a sunny open house on September 15th, the Foundation announced new goals that are as ambitious as Travis Mills himself. The event, which included tours of the retreat and opportunities for the public to chat with SSG Mills, executive director Brandy Cain revealed the Foundation's next phase:

• In an effort to meet the needs of more recalibrated veteran families and to operate the facility year-round for 40 weeks out of the year, the Travis Mills Foundation will break ground on a new Health and Wellness Center in the fall of 2020.
• The 9,800-square-foot facility will house a new indoor pool and fitness center that promotes health and wellness year-round and will benefit veteran families during and after the retreat program. 
• Retreat weeks for the families will expand to 30 weeks a year. 
• TMF will launch a pilot post-retreat program that helps veterans and their families identify their next mission: whether that's starting their own non-profit, acquiring new adaptive equipment to utilize at home, or starting their own small business. 
• There will be an additional focus on vets with PTSD, through a partnership with the Boulder Crest Institute for Post Traumatic Growth. 
• All services and programs will continue to be provided to the veteran and his or her family at no cost.

Thanks to the generous support of donors and sponsors across the country, the foundation will eventually be able to accommodate recalibrated veteran families at the retreat year-round and provide many more resources for their reintegration and recovery. TMF has already secured a $1M matching gift for its initial fundraising efforts toward raising $4.3 million.

"We want to give combat-injured vets real tools to improve their health and offer new programs to help families keep their forward momentum after their week at the retreat," said SSG Mills. "The military provided me with purpose and direction to lead my troops, and the Travis Mills Foundation will now take that same idea and recalibrate it for our own veteran families."

To support the Travis Mills Foundation, go to http://www.travismillsfoundation.org.

To follow the Travis Mills Foundation on Facebook, go to https://www.facebook.com/travismillsfoundation/

ABOUT TRAVIS MILLS
In 2012, SSG Mills was on a mission during his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. He set his backpack down ? and a buried IED exploded on impact. When Travis woke up four days later on his 25th birthday, he had lost all four limbs. Travis is one of only five veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive his quadruple amputee injuries. http://www.travismills.org

ABOUT THE TRAVIS MILLS FOUNDATION
The Travis Mills Foundation supports recalibrated veterans and their families through long-term programs that help these heroic men and women overcome physical obstacles, strengthen their families, and provide well-deserved rest and relaxation. http://www.travismillsfoundation.org

SOURCE Travis Mills Foundation