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Southern Arizona Walmart Region Donates $20,000 to Tucson VA Fisher House

Southern Arizona Region Walmart donation to Tucson VA Fisher House
From left to right: Sabrina Lugo, Assistant Chief, CDCE, SAVAHCS; Monica Oxford, Chief, CDCE, SAVAHCS; Rayna Vasquez, District Health and Wellness Manager, Walmart; Tina Carrasco, District HR Manager, Walmart; Maria Nguyen, Interim Director, SAVAHCS; Denver Floyd, District Asset Protection Manager, Walmart; Mike Ramsey, Fisher House Manager, SAVAHCS; Melissa Hanna, Program Support Assistant, SAVAHCS; Rick Velasco, District Manager, Walmart Market 366 in Southern Arizona; and John McPherson, Acting Assistant Director, SAVAHCS.

By Orlando Ford, Public Affairs Specialist

Southern Arizona Walmart Region made a generous donation of $20,000 to the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) Fisher House, bolstering the support for military families in the community.

"Zach and Elizabeth Fisher were philanthropists and builders who saw a need to support the families of injured service members, and in 1991 the first Fisher House opened.," said Mike Ramsey, Fisher House Manager. "They built and donated the first 15 to 20 Fisher Houses out of pocket and created the Fisher House Foundation. Community support is vital for maintaining these homes, and this donation from Walmart will greatly contribute to that."

The donation was presented by Rick Velasco, District Manager of Walmart Market 366 in Southern Arizona and his team which consisted of Tina Carrasco, District HR Manager, Rayna Vasquez, District Health and Wellness, and Denver Floyd, District Asset Protection Manager. 

Rick emphasized Walmart’s commitment to supporting Veterans. "Our company is dedicated to helping our Veterans. We committed to hiring 250,000 Veterans and their families, and we surpassed that, hiring 500,000," Velasco said. "This donation is a continuation of that commitment."

Velasco further highlighted the significance of Walmart’s community efforts, including projects like Operation Homefront and Hiring Heroes. "We always want to get involved in the community, not for the publicity, but because it's the right thing to do."

Mike Ramsey praised the importance of local support. "Community contributions like this are imperative. All our food and other donations come from the community. We couldn’t do what we do without volunteers and donors like Walmart," he said. 

"The SAVAHCS Fisher House has been open since 2016, and this funding helps us maintain it in pristine condition for the families we serve."

Velasco stressed Walmart’s enduring support. "We look forward to a long-term relationship with the VA here in Tucson. Many of our shoppers and employees are Veterans. This donation is from the associates of District 366, representing close to 4,000 people who care about our Veterans."

"Thank you for being here and for your support," Ramsey concluded. "Our guests appreciate everything all of our donors do, and this donation will go a long way in helping them."