VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — (Marketwire) — 10/11/11 — ADS, Inc., a leading operational equipment and logistics solutions company based in Virginia Beach, has made a $1 million donation to the Navy SEAL Foundation. The contribution will launch a special fund to expand assistance the foundation provides for children of U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen and Naval Special Warfare support personnel who have been injured or killed in the line of duty.
The ADS, Inc. Fund for Children of Naval Special Warfare will be established as a 2:1 matching gift with the goal of creating a $3 million total fund. Foundation leaders say the donation is both thoughtful and inspiring.
“When 22 active-duty Naval Special Warfare forces died in Afghanistan Aug. 6, 12 spouses and 26 children were left behind. This generous gift will allow the foundation to support these children with everything from grief counseling and family retreats to tutoring and college tuition assistance through their dependent years,” said Jim Smith, executive director of the Navy SEAL Foundation. “In addition, the fund presents a unique opportunity for matching donors to see their gift increase in strength and effectiveness.”
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Navy SEAL Foundation-s mission is to support the Naval Special Warfare community during times of both adversity and achievement. In addition to providing tragedy assistance to families during troubled times, the organization hosts special family events, offers educational opportunities and initiates projects that honor warriors. The ADS, Inc. Fund for Children of Naval Special Warfare will enable the Foundation to provide services to be implemented immediately following a tragedy, such as airline, lodging, transportation and grief counseling. In addition, it will help cover future educational needs of the surviving children such as computers for school-aged children, tutoring, educational and leadership opportunities and college or vocational tuition not covered by the existing Federal program.
“ADS has our roots in this community. Starting as part of a small local dive shop over 30 years ago, we have a long-standing relationship with the Naval Special Warfare community. We are blessed to serve these brave warfighters; it is part of our DNA and a cornerstone of our current success,” said Luke Hillier, CEO of ADS, Inc. “Their sacrifices are no less than extraordinary. Supporting these special families through The ADS, Inc. Fund for Children of Naval Special Warfare is both and honor and a privilege. It-s the least we can do to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.”
ADS- worldwide operations center is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va., with other locations in the United States and Afghanistan. A second-generation, family-owned small business, ADS, Inc. was created in 1997. Previously the company operated as the government sales division of Lynnhaven Dive Center which opened its doors in 1979 serving the local military including the Naval Special Warfare Community.
Since then, ADS () has widely expanded its product offering and government procurement vehicles providing on-time, essential operational equipment combined with industry-leading logistics solutions to all branches of the U.S. military and federal agencies. From tactical and special operational equipment to fire and emergency services, expeditionary, MRO, and medical equipment, ADS oversees every aspect of the supply chain, providing equipment to U.S. men and women in uniform.
The Navy SEAL Foundation provides support in times of adversity and achievement to U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen, Naval Special Warfare support personnel and their families. The foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was formed in 2000 and underwent a name change in January 2011 when The SEAL-Naval Special Warfare Foundation and the Navy SEAL Warrior Fund combined their organizations. The mission of the Navy SEAL Foundation is to provide immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare community and their families. The Navy SEAL Foundation is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va., at the SEAL Heritage Center, Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek. Information is available at and on Facebook at .
Documents and/or Photos available for this release:
Navy SEAL Foundation News Release
To view supporting documents and/or photos, go to and enter Release ID: 311460