The annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch returns this year to honor Bob Woodruff Foundation co-founders Bob and Lee Woodruff and Lt. General Donna W. Martin, Inspector General of the United States Army.
The Garden Brunch is held on the afternoon of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, the event brings together journalists, politicians, government officials, celebrities, and other notable individuals to honor the press and America’s military veterans. Watch a preview video here.
Bob and Lee Woodruff will be presented with the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch “Innovation” Award for their work providing resources and support to injured service members, veterans, and their families. The couple launched the foundation after Bob Woodruff, an ABC News journalist, recovered from a life-threatening traumatic brain injury he sustained while reporting on the war in Iraq.
Lee Woodruff has been a contributing reporter for ABC’s “Good Morning America” and “CBS This Morning.” As co-author of the New York Times best-selling In an Instant, Lee Woodruff garnered critical acclaim for the compelling and humorous chronicle of her family’s journey to recovery following her husband Bob’s roadside bomb injury in Iraq. Since Bob’s injury, Lee has made it her life’s mission to help put a face on the serious issue of traumatic brain injury among returning Iraq war veterans.
Since Bob and Lee launched the Bob Woodruff Foundation, they have invested over $80 million to their Find, Fund and Shape™ program initiatives and began their “Got Your 6” Network that has empowered impacted veterans, service members, and their family members across the nation.
The Got Your 6 Network is the nation’s largest non-governmental cohort of organizations serving veterans. They work to address and solve veteran homelessness and re-integration of veterans after combat. The network includes best-in-class grantees and a national network of local partners providing support to millions of veterans, service members, and their families in the communities they call home.
The network works in the continued support from our friend, Craig Newmark of Craig Newmark Philanthropies, which has given over $18 million to the Got Your 6 Network since its inception. Together, Craig Newmark Philanthropies and the Bob Woodruff Foundation reinforce a message of support for veterans and their families, noting they are here to help and have “got your six” during this period of increased uncertainty.
The network provides grants via application to get access to health resources, job training, and vital funds to help veterans get back on their feet. They produce military based networking events for veterans, free webinars on things like fundraising and advocating for yourself, and connect veterans with each other across the country. They also partner with a nation-wide network of organizations that provide funding, employment, and health resources specifically designed for veterans.
Bob has been in The Hague, Netherlands this week, reporting on the Invictus Games, an international sports event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans. He met with both American and Ukrainian servicemen. We are excited to celebrate both him and Lee at the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch next week to recognize the incredible service done for veterans in need.
In addition, Lt. General Donna W. Martin, the first woman to serve as Inspector General of the United States Army, a position she has held since September 2021, will be honored with the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch “Courage” Award. LTG Martin was previously the Provost Marshal General of the U.S. Army, serving as the principal military advisor to the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army on policing matters, including law enforcement, criminal investigations, and anti-terrorism. LTG Martin served in both Iraq and in Afghanistan. As a woman who broke many glass ceilings and highlights the essence of courage, we are honored to give Lt. General Martin this award.