Area organization keeps veterans and first responders “Rolling Strong.”

It may sound cliché, but Crystal Laramore will tell you – she’s proud to be an American. The Livingston, Texas, resident has always held a deep admiration for her country, the military, and our first responders.

She comes from a long line of family members who have served our country, so her love for the military is something engrained into who she is. From 2004-2005, Laramore also served the U.S. by working for the Department of State (DOS) in Baghdad, Iraq, and as a liaison officer to the Ambassador to Iraq. That experience laid a foundation for what would be her next chapter.

“When I came back from Baghdad at the end of 2005, I wanted to continue serving our veterans in some capacity. For years, I dipped my toe into the nonprofit arena, trying to find one I wanted to work with or for, but nothing seemed to fit,” said Laramore. “Then the real ‘aha’ moment came when God took the sledgehammer and hit me over the head with it. For a long time, my co-conspirator, Heidi Hansing, and I were struggling to decide exactly what we wanted this non-profit to look like – and who we were going to serve. During this journey, my friend Paul M. had been working on and designing wheelchairs for almost a decade in the workman’s comp arena. His father was an Army veteran who lived his last years in a subpar wheelchair, so wheelchairs were in his wheelhouse, pun intended. After about the 100th time he tapped me on the shoulder and complained about a veteran’s wheelchair and the subpar design, it hit me… Wheelchairs for Warriors!”

Laramore knew exactly what they needed to do.  “We saw our warriors were not getting the proper mobility solutions they so rightfully deserve, so Heidi and I started Wheelchairs for Warriors,” she said.

Wheelchairs for Warriors helps veterans and other first responders (including police officers, EMS, firefighters, and secret service agents) who cannot get assistance from other sources.

“We serve warriors injured in the line of duty by providing customized, high-tech wheelchairs that meet their physical and lifestyle needs. We want to ensure our warriors rejoin their lives at the highest level of independence and freedom possible,” said Laramore. “Many times, we find our warriors living in wheelchairs that are falling apart and being held together by duct tape! Often, they are on a years-long waiting list for a new one. This not only causes them tremendous stress, but it also creates a burden for their caregivers who struggle with the transportation of heavy, bulky chairs. Stress and isolation can lead to deep depression, and depression can lead to suicide. Not on our watch!”

Since its start in 2016, Wheelchairs for Warriors has served around 150 warriors by providing daily living wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, outdoor wheelchairs, and adaptive sports wheelchairs – each custom fit and designed specifically for the individual warrior’s physical and lifestyle needs.

“Our warriors have sacrificed so much for us, they deserve to have freedom, independence, and enhanced quality of life!” added Laramore.

Veteran Nicole M. is one of the 150 warriors to receive a custom wheelchair so far. She recently shared her gratitude with Laramore and Wheelchairs for Warriors.

“Words like ‘thank you’ and ‘blessed’ just don’t seem enough for how appreciative I am to y’all. I got to see more of my property in a single day than I have ever gotten to see. I now know how beautiful my own property is, and I can’t wait to start hunting again. I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who made this possible for me,” said Nicole.

While Wheelchairs for Warriors is in its eighth year of serving veterans and first responders, they cannot do it without the support of the community – because each custom wheelchair can cost anywhere from $4,500 to $65,000.

In hopes of gaining more exposure for the organization, the wheels in Laramore’s creative mind started turning. She had the idea to write a song that would salute veterans and first responders and make more people aware of Wheelchairs for Warriors and the work the organization is doing. The more people know – the more likely they are to join the mission.

She reached out to Texas country singer/songwriter Sandee June to see if she’d be interested in writing and recording a song to introduce more people to the organization.

“We were introduced by a mutual friend, and the moment we met, we clicked. She loved the idea and wanted to do it because it was for America’s heroes,” said Laramore.

June and Laramore co-wrote “Rolling Strong,” (the title taken from a popular Wheelchairs for Warriors hashtag) which is now June’s current country single on radio and all streaming platforms.

June has written many songs, but this was the first for the Wheelchairs for Warriors founder.

“If you have ever worked with Sandee, you know she is calm – the opposite of me. She is also very talented and naturally gifted. She started her journey a little later than most people, like I did, but writing has always been my passion. I have written poetry and stories for newspapers for most of my life. I even owned a newspaper for 14 years! So, this experience was cathartic and a bit of an exhale. There is so much gratitude in my heart for her making this dream come to life. It’s amazing what one ‘yes’ can accomplish,” she added.

“Rolling Strong” was June’s fastest climbing song to date and was the most streamed Texas country song the week of June 17.  “It was such an honor to write and record this song. I am also a proud American who loves to support our veterans and first responders. One of the lines in the song is, ‘Freedom isn’t free. They wrote blank checks for you and me.’ And they did just that,” said June. “Anything I can do to pay my respects to these men and women and to encourage others to give back, I am all in!”

“I pray that when people hear this song, they understand that our flag represents freedom, and the sacrifices for that freedom. This song is about the fabric of America. It gives people a 3-minute glimmer of hope that we can still Roll Strong as a United States of America,” added Laramore.

June shot a music video for the song in Kemah, Texas, and featured some of Kemah’s police officers, firefighters and EMS.  “That was a wonderful moment. I loved being able to highlight some of the men and women who serve our communities every day,” added June.

Laramore and the organization received the Four Chaplains Bronze Medal Humanitarian Award in 2023. The award is given to a person whose leadership has brought an organization’s actions to the national or international spotlight.  That’s something Laramore will continue to strive for year after year.

“Freedom isn’t free. Like the song says – they literally wrote a blank check when they signed the bottom line and served our country,” Laramore said. “Now it’s our duty and our honor to serve them.”

Laramore and team will also be serving in another capacity soon. They were invited to be the official Pit-Crew for Team USA at the Invictus Games in Canada and for the DoD Warrior Games for the next four years.

“Wheelchairs for Warriors might design wheelchairs, but we deliver freedom!” she said.

Visit www.wheelchairsforwarriors.com to learn more about the organization and the men and women who have benefited from it.

And remember to stream “Rolling Strong” wherever you get your music and share it with friends and family.