For ease of reading, this article was split into two parts. Click here for part one.Allen, along with is wife, Lauren Monroe, a practitioner and teacher of energy healing since 1992, started their non-profit foundation in 2001. According to an article in the Ventura County Star, a visit to the Walter Reed Hospital in 2006 changed their lives. Rick felt a profound connection that led to a partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project in 2009, and his emphasis shifted to veterans, some of whom are amputees.
"So many servicemen are coming back, and so many are suffering that we really need to focus our attention there now," Monroe said.
The couple’s unique blend of personal suffering and professional experience is what makes Raven Drum Foundation work.
"The understanding Rick has for life after trauma and the compassion he brings to working with the young warriors is incredible," said John Roberts, executive vice president of mental health and family services at the Wounded Warrior Project.
During the course of each year, the couple hosts drum circles with small groups of Wounded Warriors backstage at Def Leppard concerts and across the country. The goal is to start weeklong retreats in the near future. Two times a year, Raven Drum hosts a larger community drum circle open to the public.
The rocker says "Suffering levels out the playing field. Sometimes you have to experience rock bottom to feel grateful for what you've been given."
Asked how drumming can benefit wounded warriors with post traumatic stress disorder, Monroe said:
"Drumming relieves many different conditions," she said. "You can lower your blood pressure, your heart rate, breathing, and it can diminish stress in a subtle way."
Locally, there have been a number of events to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project. In January, 2012, The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Women’s Ice Hockey Team held an Armed Forces Weekend to bring awareness and raise money for the project. The Mill Creek Golf Course held their 4th Annual Charity Golf Tournament in September, 2011.For more information or to donate, please visit Raven Drum Foundation and Wounded Warrior Project
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