Truck component maker Meritor recently made a $50,000 contribution to the Boise, ID-based Wyakin Warrior Foundation, which includes a $20,000 match from the Meritor Trust Fund, to help severely wounded veterans achieve professional and personal success.
According to Native American legend, a wyakin is a spiritual guide who advises and protects a person throughout life.
Roy Ledesma, director of operations for the foundation, said more than 52,000 military service personnel have been injured since the 9/11 attacks on Washington, D.C., and New York City. Now in its fifth year, the foundation focuses on the most severely injured or ill who face the greatest challenges in building a successful civilian life. It currently supports 26 veterans.