Denzel Washington

There's a story going around by e-mail and on the internet about a visit Denzel Washington made to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. It's one of the Army's large regional medical centers, treating patients of all kinds but also specializing in treatment of burns.

While there, Denzel visited the local Fisher House. This is one of the facilities of Fisher House Foundation, which provides help to military families in times of crisis and financial need. When a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine is wounded or injured and sent to a military hospital, his or her family often must travel long distances at great expense to be near him or her. Fisher House provides military families in need with a temporary place to live very near the hospital at little or no cost. Fisher House receives some support from the U.S. government and other charities, but it relies heavily on contributions from private citizens.

The current "urban legend" on the internet about Denzel's visit to Brooke Army Medical Center says that while visiting the local Fisher House, he whipped out his checkbook and wrote a check for the full cost of a new Fisher House. Not true. He made a contribution later, described by an executive of Fisher House Foundation as "one of the most significant received in our history." You can find the full story at Snopes.com. It's worth reading.

If you'd like to support our military personnel and their families in a meaningful way, consider making a contribution to Fisher House. You can do it here.