On the heels of the October 1 announcement that L&W Supply became the official building materials supplier of Team USA as part of parent company USG Corporation’s four-year sponsorship of both the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams and the Canadian Olympic Team, the wallboard and building materials distributor launched Rico’s Army, a fundraiser to help send the family of Team USA Paralympian Rico Roman to the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

L&W Supply is matching funds raised by employees, customers, vendors and the general public, with a goal of $50,000 to be raised by the start of the Paralympic Games on March 7, 2014. Proceeds will cover the costs for Rico’s wife, Nathalie, daughter Juliet, 11, and son Raul, 9, to attend the Games and watch their husband and father compete for the gold.

An Iraq war veteran, Rico served three tours as part of the U.S. Army. While on his third tour of duty, Rico’s vehicle hit a roadside bomb. His injuries led to a left-leg amputation and the end of his military career. After the rigorous process of rehab to learn how to use his prosthetic leg, Rico discovered a new passion: sled hockey. As a member of the U.S. Paralympics Sled Hockey National Team, Rico has already won two gold medals in tournament play and is a hopeful to compete in the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

“I was speechless to learn about L&W Supply’s generosity,” said Rico. “It means so much to have my family by my side as I represent my country. I’m not doing this for myself, I’m doing it for all the people back home who have supported me every step of the way.”

Launching on Veterans Day, the fundraiser aligns well with L&W Supply’s core values—most importantly, a strict adherence to the highest standards—and helps the brand deliver on its promise: “Nationwide Strength. Local Commitment.” U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls come from communities the country and through extensive support and outreach initiatives, L&W Supply is deeply rooted in these communities. The company is thrilled to help celebrate our nation’s hometown heroes: athletes and veterans alike.

Support for veterans is nothing new to L&W Supply, where almost 10 percent of employees, including president and CEO Brendan Deely, are veterans, or have family members in the military.

“Being a United States Army veteran myself, this fundraising effort is very personal for me and hits close to home,” said Deely. “Rico is an inspiration to all of us and there is a lot to learn from his story of overcoming adversity. He took his injury as a chance to give back, working with other veterans with life changing injuries. He deserves to have his family by his side during the Games and that is what we hope to achieve with this fundraiser.”

L&W Supply would like to add a special thanks to supporting vendors Clark Dietrich, Cemco, PrimeSource, Grabber and Owens Corning for their meaningful donations to Rico’s Army.

To learn more about Rico’s Army, or to donate, visit http://www.lwsupply.com/donate.