Welcome Home Ray Family
On August 10th MorningStar, Helping A Hero, Westin Homes, our wonderful residents, the LHS Panther Band, the Patriot Guard Riders, Senator Ted Cruz, Lee Greenwood, and Retired General Anthony Cucolo all joined together to welcome SGT James “Shane” Ray and his family to their new MorningStar home. The outpouring of support within the community and locally – Georgetown and Liberty Hill officials, was astounding. Many donations were made to aid in the construction of the home as well as donations to support the family’s day-to-day living. We are proud to support such a deserving family and hope they spend many happy years here at MorningStar.
The Story
In October 2017, Helping a Hero, Westin Homes and MorningStar joined together to invite the community to nominate a deserving wounded warrior who was injured in the Global War on Terror for a beautiful Westin Home in the MorningStar Community. Out of the applications submitted, SGT James “Shane” Ray, USA and his family were selected.
Army Sergeant Ray deployed to Iraq with the 101st Airborne, 1-32 CAV RSTA. While on night patrol in June 2006, he was driving a Bradley Fighting Vehicle when it ran over two IEDs, resulting in his injuries including severe burns, the loss of a leg, and ongoing medical complications. He received the Purple Heart for his injuries in combat. SGT Ray also received the Bronze Star for his valor and numerous other medals.
Due to his leg amputation, SGT Ray spends all of his time in his wheelchair and hopes one day to be able to wear a prosthetic for at least a portion of the day. Helping a Hero worked closely with Westin Homes to specially design a home with features fit to meet SGT. Ray’s special needs. The home features four bedrooms, three baths with a covered porch that is over 2,900 square feet. The Holland plan includes Westin’s signature rotunda, open living area, spacious kitchen, and large outdoor patio. Some of the specialty designs include wider hallways and doorways, an adapted shower and toilet area, a roll under sink, flush thresholds and other safety features to enable SGT Ray to be as independent as possible.
HelpingaHero.org, MorningStar and Westin Homes are excited to join together to say “Thank you for your service” in a tangible way to a Helping a Hero injured military veteran who sacrificed so much for our freedom. We are counting on the community to help us locate a brave and deserving wounded veteran who was injured while serving his country in the post 9-11 conflict.
Congressman John Carter (TX-31), “America’s wounded veterans have made a tremendous sacrifice on behalf of our nation. Returning from battle to a home that cannot effectively address their needs can make the transition even more difficult. I encourage every Texan that knows a deserving wounded warrior injured in Iraq or Afghanistan to participate in the nomination process, so that our wounded veterans have a safe place to call home.”
MorningStar is proud to donate an oversized 70 foot corner lot which provides a peaceful cul de sac for the selected veteran to rebuild their life and have a supportive community behind them.
Westin Homes is excited to partner with Helping a Hero and MorningStar to build a beautiful, comfortable, and timeless home for a veteran. The Holland is a new plan for Westin that showcases our signature rotunda, open living area, spacious kitchen, and large outdoor patio. It is over 2,900 sq feet and has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Westin Homes is proud to have the opportunity to build the future home of a well deserving hero.