VA Maryland Health Care System

Maryland Returning Veterans Benefit By Clipper City Brewing Year-Long Charitable Initiative

From left to right, Hugh Sisson, founder of Clipper City Brewing, is acknowledged for his year-long charitable campaign to support the rehabilitation of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan by R. David Edwards, Chief, Public and Community Relations Service, VA Maryland Health Care System.

August 26,2008

Over the past 12 months, Clipper City Brewing, a Baltimore-based company, has donated a total of $24,337 to support the rehabilitation efforts of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who receive their care from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland Health Care System.

In a show of community support for returning veterans, Clipper City Brewing started a year-long charitable campaign beginning June 1, 2007 by donating a portion of their proceeds to the VA Maryland Health Care System. The first donation of $2,000 was presented during a ceremony on June 26, 2007 at the Baltimore VA Medical Center.

“This is a great example of a local business giving back to their communities,” said Dennis H. Smith, director of the VA Maryland Health Care System. “We applaud their support and hope that other companies will consider following their lead.”

Thanks to Clipper City’s year-long charitable campaign, the VA Maryland Health Care System was able to purchase a Virtual Reality Therapy System to assist returning veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) confront and manage their wartime experiences. In addition, Clipper City’s donations were used to enhance rehabilitation services throughout the state and to support the VA Maryland Health Care System’s 1st Annual Welcome Home Celebration for returning veterans, which was held at Ripken Stadium on November 10, 2007.

“This was our primary charitable initiative for the past twelve months,” said Hugh Sisson, founder of Clipper City. “Our injured young people returning from war should be a major priority for all American citizens and we felt compelled to do what we could as a small business to assist in their recovery and their return to a productive lifestyle.”

Clipper City’s year-long charitable campaign has directly benefited more than 5,000 returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who are now receiving their health care from the VA Maryland Health Care System.