Benefit to help wounded warriors set for Apr. 11

Photo by Ronald Przybylski.

Red Oak resident and acting commander of the 3%ers Texas group, R.C. Lyon, shooting a 50 cal. rifle at private gun range in Waxahachie.

WAXAHACHIE — Zone 3 of 3%ers Texas is hosting a fundraiser on April 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to benefit Rebuilding America's Warriors.

Ellis County concealed handgun license instructor Ronald Przybylski offered to open his private gun range at Breezy Acres for the fundraiser. The range is located at 5375 N. IH 35E in Waxahachie. A donation of $10 is suggested.

Pack up your rifles and pistols for a fun-filled day of shooting. The event will begin at the 100-yard range with shooting benches and ground space available. Shooters will move down range later in the day for pistol shooting.

All brass collected after the event will be donated to One Million Rounds, who creates artwork from the spent brass and in turn helps veterans with the proceeds.

"The idea came about because R.A.W. helped one of my friends Matthew (Blits)," Przybylski said.

Rebulding America's Warriors (R.A.W.) is a non-profit foundation dedicated to providing free reconstructive surgery to recently wounded and disfigured active service and veteran status warriors.

"Disfiguring wounds can interfere with the veteran's ability to seek social encounters and reenter his or her pre-war life," R.A.W. states on its website.

"It is this Foundation's objective to aid the veteran, or active military soldier, in more readily advancing in his profession and in the social arena. Looking one's best also increases self esteem and will help give our soldiers the confidence to seek their ultimate dreams."

Duncanville resident, Matthew W. Blits, 34, knows first-hand the new sense of life R.A.W. provides wounded veterans.

A six-year army veteran, Blits completed one tour in Korea and a 13-month tour in Iraq. He returned from Iraq in March 2005.

"I started having problems with my teeth. I tried to get help from the VA, but since I wasn't 100% disabled, they wouldn't help me. I had pretty much given up," Blits said.

"In 2013, my father-in-law saw a news report regarding R.A.W. on channel 8. My wife contacted R.A.W. and they stepped in and helped me out."

Blits said with the help of a generous donors and exceptional doctors, it was possible for him to undergo oral surgery.

"Before the help from R.A.W., I had no life. Due to the pain and how my mouth looked, I started to become a recluse. I was ashamed of how I looked. My marriage was failing," Blits said. "R.A.W. changed all of that."

R.A.W. is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation that receives financing solely through public donations. With over 300 surgeons in 46 states, the organization provides reconstructive surgery to wounded and disfigured active duty and veterans of all wars post 2001.

"The VA will get you healthy. But some procedures aren't offered. R.A.W. goes beyond that to help make us complete or feel complete. For me, it was my teeth. For others, it could be shrapnel removal, scar revision, etc," Blits said.

"R.A.W. helps out when one feels like all hope is lost. They gave me, along with others, life again."

Click here to learn more about the April 11 fundraiser.

Click here to learn more about Rebuilding America's Warriors.

Click here to learn more about One Million Rounds.

Click here to learn more about CHL instructor Ronald Przybylski.