An Army veteran from Texas has had a thirst to help others his entire life. John Wayne Walding, yes that is his real name, served his country for years. He medically retired soon after he lost his leg in Afghanistan in 2008.
His desire to help others didn’t get left on the battlefield.
“We owe it to the fallen to live well,” Walding said. “I know first-hand the value a charity can bring to the life of a wounded veteran, and I will never forget the significance of their help to me and family.
That’s exactly what he has been spending his time doing. He co-founded Live to Give. It’s a Dallas-based bottled water company that donates 50-percent of their net profits to charities supporting military, first responders and their families. A business with a bold purpose he is using to continue to serve.
“The purpose led the business, not the other way around,” Walding said. “We knew we wanted to give people an everyday way to support those who serve. As we thought about the best way to do that, we decided that pretty much everybody needs to drink water every day. And that’s how the water company was born.”
Live to Give has partnered with three vetted charities for all of their donations – Task Force Dagger, Folds of Honor and Chive Charities. Since launching this summer, Live to Give has donated over $5,000 to Chive Charities, over $3,500 to Task Force Dagger, and is in the process of scheduling a donation ceremony with Folds of Honor to present another $5,000 donation.
Additionally, Live to Give also partnered with local fire and police stations across the U.S. to showcase their support and say thank you to first responders on the first-ever National First Responders Day in October by donating hundreds of cases of water. John also created a nationwide Thank You card to thank first responders, which inspired thousands to join in and thank their local heroes.
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We know water is good for the body, but in this case, it’s also purification for the soul.
