Wood for Warriors

Sutton Norris, red cap, and friends meet Michael Boucher, who lost his legs in active duty. He showed them the track-type wheelchair that he owns. 

Until recently, Sutton Norris was another faceless name on the Prince Avenue Christian School football roster. No. 20.

In my role as play-by-play announcer for the Wolverines football team, I had memorized his number. He was not a star on the team that went all the way to the state finals last year.

At 145-pounds, it is unlikely that young Mr. Norris is going to forge his path in football.

But he is a trailblazer. Make no mistake about that.

Norris crossed my path face to face recently at a barbecue. He was passing out business cards.

Wood for Warriors.

It was not a fundraiser for Oconee County High.

Norris has wanted to be in the military since he was 6 years old. He is divided between the Naval Academy and West Point. One grandfather was an intelligence officer in the Army. Another was a Navy aviator who served with John McCain in Vietnam.

Young lads can hear some of the stories of military exploits and come away with stars in their eyes. But Norris has seen the other side too.

That’s what Wood for Warriors is all about.

Norris aims to cut wood to raise money for a track-type wheelchair that veterans can use on hunting expeditions.

Norris saw one and learned of the efforts of two other Oconee County businessmen in raising funds for such vehicles: Tom Little and Terry Fohey.

The latter had Norris and some friends out to his new farm in Greene County last weekend. He put their zeal to the test with a full day of clearing vines and underbrush and small trees in what Fohey hopes will be a retreat and a place for wounded veterans to hunt.

“It is a beautiful piece of land,” said Norris.

Norris talked two classmates, Walker Boswell and Jack Wilfong, into helping him, His dad, Tab, joined in, as did his Young Life leader, Tory Singer. I wonder if cutting wood was in the ministry job description.

Fohey was a little concerned when Boswell showed up for a day of working in the woods wearing short pants.

“You are going to get all cut up,” Fohey warned him.

At the end of the day, he was all cut up, but he hung in there until he had to go do some chores at home. His pals came by later and helped him.

Michael Boucher came by the work site, with a wheelchair.

“It was a surreal experience,” said Norris, “to see that this is real and achievable. But we have a lot of hard work ahead.”

At the end of the day, Fohey cut a check for $1,000 to Wood for Warriors. Norris had passed the test with flying colors. For the second time.

When Fohey first got wind of Norris’s quest, he helped arrange a visit for Norris to a hospital near Washington, D.C., where he could meet some of the men that he was determined to help. Like Samuel Walley, who came back without one arm and one leg.

“It was chilling, seeing that,” said Norris. “It was rough to see these guys who have sacrificed so much for our country. It really fired me up.”

Write this down: (706) 248-4812 or suttonnorris@gmail.com. That is how you can get in touch with Mr. Norris and turn your wood into something for the nation’s warriors.

One thing for sure. Sutton Norris, No. 20 in the program, is an All-American in my book.

This was published in The Oconee Enterprise Thursday, May 16, 2013.