Veterans' Charity Teaches Warriors About the Sweet Side of Life

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) invited injured veterans and their guests to make multi-flavored lollipops by hand. Sweet Pete's confection specialists taught candy-making techniques, and the candy shop and its customers prepared other surprises to thank warriors for their military service and sacrifice.

"Wounded Warrior Project events like this allow me to connect with other veterans," said Army veteran Adam Bagby. "I get to see how different vets react to different situations. When you have everybody come together, you can share what you felt and experienced. That's what it's all about."

Besides their own edible creations, warriors received candy boxes full of Sweet Pete's products, as well as homemade Valentine's Day cards from the store's customers. The heartfelt cards, from both children and adults, thank veterans for their service to their country and express how proud they are of our nation's warriors.

"The amount of physical effort it took to form the candy you're trying to create was more involved than I thought," Adam said. "So, a lot of respect goes out to people who are actual candy makers. I made four watermelon lollipops. My two girls at home are getting one each, and, I'll be honest, I'll probably eat two."

"I enjoyed making the candy by hand," said Marine Corps veteran Bryan Johnson. "I didn't realize the ingredients were as simple as that. Also, I learned about the importance of heat and texture in candy-making."

Socializing with other veterans at gatherings like this can help injured warriors cope with stress and emotional concerns. In a WWP survey (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/survey) of the injured warriors it serves, 51.6 percent said they talk with fellow veterans to address their mental health issues.

"Wounded Warrior Project deserves credit for saving my life," Bryan said. "I came back to the U.S. extremely broken and went to many of their events. You begin to see familiar faces, so it's neat to form those relationships."

To learn and see more about how WWP's programs and services connect, serve, and empower wounded warriors, visit http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org, and click on multimedia.

About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. Read more at http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project