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Minnesota Credit Union Foundation home page
• What
is Homes for Our Troops?
• Who is Sergeant Marcus Kuboy?
• Supplemental Information
• Media Coverage

| Minnesota
credit unions, Homes for Our Troops, Republican National Convention
& National
Journal, present house to Sgt. Marcus Kuboy |
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More than 200 people from Minnesota credit unions, Homes
for Our Troops, Republican National Convention staff, and the
community came together on Sept. 1 to welcome Sgt. Marcus Kuboy
to his new home in Woodbury. Sgt. Kuboy was surrounded by supporters
on Monday as he received the keys to his house, which is specially-adapted
to help reduce the burden of the injuries he sustained in Iraq.
The key ceremony was the culmination
of a nine-month project consisting of hundreds of volunteers donating
their time and money to the building of the house. Credit unions’
involvement in the project began with fundraising in January and
continued through attendance at the groundbreaking in April and
participation in the volunteer days in June and August. A similar
house was built in Denver and was presented to Staff Sergeant
Travis Strong last week during the Democratic National Convention.
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Sgt.
Marcus Kuboy rattled the keys to his new house which was presented
to him Sept. 1. (L-R) Dan Mica, CUNA President/CEO; Minnesota
Gov. Tim Pawlenty; Sgt. Kuboy; John Gonsalves, President &
Founder of Homes for Our Troops; and Mark D. Cummins, MnCUN
President & CEO.
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With both projects, America’s credit unions partnered with
the National Journal and Homes for Our Troops, an organization
that builds specially-adapted houses for severely wounded war
veterans. The Republican National Committee was heavily involved
in the St. Paul initiative. Funding for the project came from
credit unions and partners around the country, raising more than
$350,000 for Homes for Our Troops.
At the Monday key presentation
ceremony, CUNA President/CEO Dan Mica welcomed the supporting
groups in attendance and thanked them for making the construction
of the house possible.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty attended
the ceremony and expressed his gratitude to Sgt. Kuboy and all
those who serve in the military for the countless sacrifices they
make. He urged those not in the military to serve their country
in other ways.
“If [our soldiers] are
willing to give us their all, then we need to be prepared to give
them our all back,” said Gov. Pawlenty. “I am so proud
and pleased of this effort to give back to our American hero Sgt.
Kuboy.”
John Gonsalves, President
& Founder of Homes for Our Troops, commended
the volunteers who helped with the construction of Sgt. Kuboy’s
home and the volunteers around the country who assist Homes for
Our Troops with its building projects.
“We look to people to volunteer for the greatest volunteers
of our country – the men and women of our military,”
said Gonsalves. “Supporting our troops is not a right thing
or a left thing – it’s the right thing.”
Before receiving the keys
to his new house, Sgt. Kuboy shared the story of his injury and
thanked the countless people who have supported him during his
recovery, including the credit union volunteers who participated
in the construction of his house.
“When things were hard
for me [while I was injured], I looked to people that would support
me and lift me up, and to me that is what a hero is,” said
Sgt. Kuboy. “There’s a lot of heroes here today. I
look at you all, and I call you heroes – you are my heroes.”
“This project has personified
the main philosophy and principles of credit unions. Every day
credit unions serve their members in a way that meets each person’s
unique needs,” said Mark D. Cummins, President & CEO
of the Minnesota Credit Union Network. “This one project
may be completed but credit unions’ service to our veterans
is far from being over.”
Sgt. Kuboy toured his home
on Monday, which was decorated and furnished by credit unions
and other supporting businesses. |

RIGHT: Credit
unions contributing to the Homes for Our Troops project were
recognized with a lawn sign placed outside Sgt. Kuboy’s
house in Woodbury.
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LEFT: Gov.
Tim Pawlenty (right) presented Sgt. Kuboy with a Certificate
of Commendation from the state of Minnesota.

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Founded in 2004, Homes for
Our Troops is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization
committed to assisting severely injured and disabled servicemen
and women and their immediate families. This organization works
with local contractors to build new homes that are handicap-accessible,
often for multiple amputees and individuals with spinal cord injuries.
On Sept. 1-4, 2008, national
attention focused on Minnesota as St. Paul hosted the National
Convention. A similar project was coordinated in Denver.
Minnesota credit unions received
state and national attention during this time for their involvement
with the Homes for Our Troops project. Minnesota credit unions
provided the funding and volunteer support necessary to complete
this project.
Click
here to view the video!
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Sergeant Marcus Kuboy, 30, served three years active duty for the
Minnesota National Guard. His tour in Iraq was initially due to
end on March 21, 2007, but it was extended by six months to support
the troop surge. While patrolling the outskirts of Fallujah with
his unit (2/136 CAB) on March 23, 2007, the truck Sgt. Kuboy’s
was riding in ran over an IED bomb, causing it to explode. He and
his vehicle were airborne, and Sgt. Kuboy was ejected. |
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The
explosion severely injured Sgt. Kuboy’s legs, and he broke
his back, left arm and jaw upon landing. One soldier died in the
attack and Sgt. Kuboy’s roommate had both his legs broken
when the truck he had been in landed on them. Sgt. Kuboy does not
remember the attack.
Sgt. Kuboy was the Army Medic
for his unit and he also served as the unit trainer for the Combat
Life Saver Qualification program. Sgt. Kuboy’s skill and training
are credited for saving his life and that of his roommate.
Sgt. Kuboy spent his initial recovery of four-and-a-half months
as a patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
He then spent five months as an outpatient at the Fisherhouse in
Washington, D.C. During those months, he endured eight surgeries.
Sgt. Kuboy is now part of the Community Based Health Care Operation
(part of the U.S. Army Medical Command) for injured soldiers, which
allows wounded war veterans to rehabilitate closer to home. He has
suffered some setbacks on the road to recovery, including a serious
bone infection in his left leg that may lead to amputation. While
his right leg sustained the brunt of the damage in Iraq, it does
appear to be healing, so hopefully it will not need to be amputated.
He needs to use a wheelchair to get around, but can use crutches
if it is just a short distance.
Sgt. Kuboy is a Minnesota native,
and his parents currently live in Minneapolis. Sgt. Kuboy was born
in Robbinsdale, but grew up in New Hope. He is a graduate of the
Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in Plymouth where he played hockey
and football. In the summers, he enjoyed playing softball in local
leagues. Marcus also attended the Minneapolis Community & Technical
College, where he studied history.
Sgt. Kuboy is very excited
to call St. Paul his new hometown. He says the city is full of history
and has a lot of character. He is very thankful that people have
separated the war from the soldiers – especially how it has
brought out the best in a lot of good people.
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VIDEO
Click
here to check out the new Homes for Our Troops video featuring
Minnesota credit unions!
NEWSLETTER
ARTICLE & PHOTOS
A sample article is available that can be be personalized
and published in your credit union’s newsletter, on your web
site, or anywhere else you see fit.
- Sample
Newsletter Article
- Photos
of Lawn Signs (27
photos)
- More than 45 Minnesota
credit unions participated in the Homes for Our Troops project,
taking part in the fundraising efforts and volunteer days.
- Photos
of the Deeding Ceremony (24
photos)
- Sgt. Marcus Kuboy received
the keys to his new house on Sept. 1. Several important figures
were involved in the ceremony, including Gov. Tim Pawlenty,
CUNA President & CEO Dan Mica, MnCUN President & CEO
Mark Cummins, and CO-OP Financial Services President &
CEO Stan Hollen. (For specific photo caption information,
please contact Rachel
Kuenzel at the Network office.)
- Photos
of the Home (10 photos)
- Credit unions and other supporting businesses
provided the decorating and furnishing of Sgt. Kuboy’s
home.
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PRESS RELEASES:
- Sept.
2, 2008 “Credit unions & supporting groups gather
to hand over house keys to veteran”
- Aug.
15, 2008 “2008 Republican National Convention, supporting
groups host ‘Volunteer Day’ to landscape home for
wounded Iraq vet”
- Aug.
11, 2008 “Minnesota credit unions surpass $150,000 fundraising
goal”
- June
26, 2008 “Republican National Convention Committee,
Supporting Groups Host “Build Brigade” to Construct
Home for Wounded Iraq Veteran”
- April
28, 2008 “Republican National Convention & supporting
groups break ground for wounded Iraq veteran’s home”
- Feb.
22, 2008 ”Minnesota war veteran to receive new home
– Credit unions, Republican National Convention, others
teaming up for service project”
NEWS COVERAGE:
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Minnesota’s KSTP Channel
5 Eyewitness News reporter Chris O’Connell interviewed Sgt.
Kuboy at the Minnesota Credit Union Network office in St. Paul on
Feb. 25. |
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