Happy Birthday, USA

Patriotism is demonstrated the most emphatically by the acts of kindness the mold manufacturing industry performs for those who serve the United States of America in its Armed Forces.

One such effort is a charitable organization MoldMaking Technology has been promoting since its inception 2011: iWarriors.

iWarriors was founded in 2011 by Tim and Kim Bartz of Mold Craft in Willernie, Minnesota, after given the opportunity to support a group of wounded warriors from the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines based at Camp Pendleton, California.

The Marines had recently been injured in Helmand Province, Afghanistan during the units 7 months deployment that began the autumn of 2010. The Bartz’s raised over $10,000 from members of the American Mold Builders Association to support the group of warriors. The couple traveled from their home in Minnesota to Balboa Naval hospital in San Diego to present iPad gift packages to 15 wounded warriors, most of which returned from Afghanistan as single, double, and triple amputees.

The ipads were given to the Marines to help them stay in touch with loved ones while they underwent months of surgery, rehabilitation and recovery. After returning home the Bartz’s set up the 501(c)3 nonprofit iWarriors.org.

With growing support since 2011 iWarriors.org now offers the iPad program to wounded warriors from all branches of the US Armed Forces. Although the majority of support comes from AMBA members, iWarriors.org encourages all Americans to join in to support our combat wounded service members. 98.5 percent of all donations received go directly to the iPad program.

Since 2010 over $150,000 has been raised to support more than 250 wounded warriors. See its latest video below.

The 5th Marines is the most highly decorated Regiment in the USMC and commonly referred to as “The Fighting Fifth”. The 1,000 member 3rd “Darkhorse” battalion suffered the most fatalities (25) and 150 casualties during the units 2010-2011 deployment to Sangin District, Helmand Province.

The mission of iWarriors is to honor severely injured members of all branches of the Armed Forces by providing them with personalized iPads, with help from members of the American Mold Builders Association, MoldMaking Technology Magazine, and others.