It took one book – Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell – to inspire five women from Texas to do something truly extraordinary for one of our country’s most valuable assets. Meet Ginger, Heather, Leigh Ann, Mariea and Sherri, a.k.a. the Boot Girls. After learning about the challenges that active members of our U.S. military face upon returning home, these Women You Should Know were humbled and set out to do something to give back. They call it the Boot Campaign.
“When they come back, we give back.” When you realize the current state of the military landscape, it’s not difficult to understand why the Boot Girls felt compelled to use their spare time to come up with a way to make a difference and impart change… nearly 50,000 U.S. troops have been injured since 2001; over 16,000 of those injuries are catastrophic, leaving these military heroes with enormous hurdles to overcome when they return home. The average age of an injured soldier is 23. Almost 8,000 troops have been killed in action since 2001. If the average military family size is 4 people, then over 230,000 direct family members are affected by current-day military casualties and losses.
Fueled by their collective patriotism, unable to ignore such devastating facts, these five hard-working professional women founded the Boot Campaign in 2009 as a national, grassroots initiative. Their mission: to show appreciation for our active military, to raise awareness of the challenges they face upon their return, and to support their transition home by raising the funds necessary for much-needed military assistance programs. Their tactical weapon of choice: boots… just like those worn by our troops.
The heart of their movement is built on urging people to purchase and sport Boot Campaign branded boots as a tangible symbol of personal gratitude.
The Boot Girls tell us, “Just like flying a flag at your home or office, or joining thousands of others singing the National Anthem in a stadium, wearing Boot Campaign combat boots is a powerful unspoken ‘THANK YOU!’ to our troops.”
Their goal is to see 1.4 million Americans with their boots on, thanking the 1.4 million active duty military serving in 150 countries globally and stateside.
When you purchase boots from the Boot Campaign, 100% of the proceeds goes to support the mission of the Boot Campaign. There are multiple styles to choose from for women, men and kids ranging in price from $45.00 to $172.00.
The founders encourage people to wear their boots all over – a 10K, prom, wedding, football game, the office, the grocery store – anywhere that people will stop you and ask “why the boots?” That’s the word-of-mouth, conversation starting aspect of the campaign that helps organically build interest and awareness.
In addition to boot sales, the Boot Campaign raises money from its branded apparel and accessories combined with donations and corporate sponsorships. These funds get allocated to the best programs available today and are used for a variety of critical, relevant issues like assisting wounded military and their families with job placement, mortgage free homes, PTSD counseling, adaptive clothing, family support and so much more.
We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Boot Campaign and cannot say enough about how inspired we are by these 5 WYSKs for doing something so extraordinary for the men and women who bravely and selflessly serve our country and protect our freedom. Brava ladies!!!
Our special thanks to WYSK’s own Fix-It Friday DIY Contributor, Norma “Toolbelt Diva” Vally, who has volunteered with the Boot Campaign and told us WE should know the Boot Girls. She was SO right!
If you need any more reason to join the movement and GET YOUR BOOTS ON, check this out: