NEW YORK, May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Mack, Cathryn, Nora and Claire Woodruff, whose dad is ABC News correspondent and ReMIND.org founder Bob Woodruff, today released a video http://tweettoremind.org/525-teens/ asking teens nationwide to join the 525 Teens movement for Memorial Day Weekend fundraiser Tweet to ReMIND. Starting today, Tweet to ReMIND aims to raise $1.65 million for U.S. troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq with injuries from service (that's one dollar for each service member deployed since 9/11).
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"525 Teens is raising money for people who desperately need it, who are trying to get on the road to recovery after coming back from war," said Mack Woodruff, 17. "It's important for us as youth to support them in their efforts and make sure they know we're here for them."
The Woodruff kids and 525 Teens urge all their friends and peers nationwide to post this video on Facebook, link to it on Twitter, talk about it on their blogs and get as many friends as possible to visit TweetToReMIND.org to donate $5.25 this weekend.
"On Facebook, everything is so connected," said Cathryn Woodruff, 15. "If one person sees this video and they think it's important, they can send it to another person. Even if they can give only 25 cents or 50 cents, that's good, because those donations add up."
The Woodruffs have a unique understanding of these service members' plight: Their dad suffered a traumatic brain injury while reporting in Iraq in 2006 when a roadside bomb hit his vehicle. During his long, painful recovery and rehabilitation, Bob Woodruff and his family met many service members with similar severe injuries, as well as their families, who as caregivers face their own logistical, financial and emotional challenges. These troops and their families are in dire need of resources to help them heal and reintegrate into their communities. Tweet to ReMIND provides them with those resources.
"My daddy got hurt in the war, and he came back and he got helped," said Claire Woodruff, 9.
Bob Woodruff and his wife, Lee, co-founded the Bob Woodruff Foundation and ReMIND.org to support wounded veterans -- in particular those suffering from traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, who often suffer in silence, undiagnosed and untreated.
Spearheaded by Porter Novelli, JWT Worldwide, Clinique and Sawhorse Media, Tweet to ReMIND is the largest and most ambitious online fundraising effort in history, empowering Twitter users to raise awareness and funds with their online posts. All proceeds go directly to localized resources for troops reintegrating into their communities after deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"525 Teens and Tweet to ReMIND showcase the integral role that teens have in reshaping our perception of what a more positive and charitable future looks like," said Marian Salzman, CMO of global public relations agency Porter Novelli, lead sponsor of Tweet to ReMIND. "Their tweets convey this pragmatic optimism and sense of purpose to the entire world, who can watch and participate via Twitter and TweetToReMIND.org."
Said Lee Woodruff, co-founder of ReMIND.org: "So many of the wounded are so young and so full of potential. I am very proud that teens can join us to celebrate them and support our vital efforts to make their re-entry into the everyday world smoother and more productive."
To join 525 Teens, contact Lisa Gruber at Lisa.gruber@porternovelli.com or (212) 601-8358. To donate to Tweet to ReMIND, visit TweetToReMIND.org or ReMIND.org.
about The bob woodruff foundation
The Bob Woodruff Foundation provides resources and support to service members, veterans and their families, helping them successfully reintegrate into their communities so they may thrive physically, psychologically, socially and economically. Through a public education movement called REMIND.org, the Bob Woodruff Foundation informs Americans about the needs of service members returning from war -- especially the 1 in 5 service members who have sustained hidden injuries such as Traumatic Brain Injury and Combat Stress, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression and Anxiety -- and empowers communities nationwide to take action. Across the country, the Bob Woodruff Foundation collaborates with other organizations and experts to identify and resolve issues related to the transition of service members from combat to civilian life and invests in programs that connect our troops with the help they need -- from individual needs like physical accommodations, medical care and counseling to larger social issues like homelessness and suicide. In 2008, the Bob Woodruff Foundation invested $3.4 million in community programs, reaching more than 500,000 service members, support personnel, veterans and their families nationwide.
About Porter Novelli
A global public relations leader, Porter Novelli was founded in 1972 and is a part of Omnicom Group Inc . With 100 offices in 60 countries, Porter Novelli helps clients achieve Intelligent Influence -- changing attitudes and behaviors by having the right conversations with the right people at the right time. Visit porternovelli.com.
Porter Novelli
CONTACT: Lisa Gruber, +1-212-601-8358, Lisa.gruber@porternovelli.com
Web Site: http://tweettoremind.org/
