Moldmaking Community Keeps iWarriors Going Strong

 

 

iWarriors was not only the brainchild of Kim and Tim Bartz of Mold Craft back in 2011, but it was also a love project. This program provides tablet computer gift packages to combat wounded service members for use as a rehabilitation and recovery tool. To date, it has outfitted more than 900 service members with fully loaded and customized devices.

If you are not familiar with iWarriors, or need a refresher on its mission, click on the links below to read MoldMaking Technology’s past coverage. These stories will give you just a glimpse at what this organization has done for our servicemen and women while inspiring others to give. 

Kim and Tim are now retiring but iWarriors will live on thanks to this wonderful moldmaking community.  

The iWarriors iPad program has changed hands, transferring to STAR Charities, a registered 501C-3 non-profit entity, which took over operations on December 1, 2019.

With retirement approaching, the Bartzs were thrilled when approached by Don and Glenn Starkey of Progressive Components and STAR Charities, with interest in carrying on the program.

“We are confident STAR Charities will carry on what we started in 2011,” Kim says. Don and Glenn not only understand what this program means to Tim and me, but also what these men and women mean to us. These warriors have sacrificed so much, including their health, so that we may enjoy our many freedoms every day. As our motto states, ‘They gave their all, let’s give some back.’ We owe our wounded heroes a helping hand, an essential tool in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress, as well as a means to communicate with loved ones and battle buddies”.

“None of this would have been possible without the tremendous support of members and partners of the American Mold Builders Association,” Kim adds “This group has such a huge heart, and they have the utmost respect and gratitude for our military. Many have gone above and beyond to raise funds for the program by holding events, and for that, we are grateful. I have no doubt this support will continue with the new team at the helm and being so active in the AMBA”.

 

“We’ve seen the Bartzs’ dedication firsthand, not only through AMBA activities but also through our i-Sledders charity snowmobile ride that we organized in 2015,” Don Starkey says. Assisted with the transition by industry colleagues Jacob Niggemann and Erick Robins, Starkey adds “our team is honored to help our heroes in need by taking up the torch that the Bartzs initiated.”

Look for 2020 to have a continuation of golf outings, charity runs, and raffles to raise funds for this cause, through the generosity and camaraderie of mold builders as well as those in the general public. 

STAR Charities, founded in 2003 by Progressive Components, is a volunteer-run organization, allowing net revenues raised to go directly to the charity. In its home community of Wauconda, Illinois, STAR is well known for organizing events such as the Wauconda Turkey Trot, Wauconda Bunny Hop, Shamrock the Block, annual Coat Drive for homeless vets and families in needs, along with various local and national causes.

Feel free to contact STAR Charities directly at star@procomps.com, call 800-269-6653 or visit them on Facebook at facebook.com/STARCharities.