Gary Sinise Foundation presents custom-built home to Ranger wounded in Afghanistan in 2019

Richard Burkhart, Savannah Morning News
·1 min read
Retired U.S. Army Sgt.1st Class Ryan Davis and his family arrive at their newly built Richmond Hill home on Thursday, October 12, 2023. The Gary Sinise Foundation presented the home to the Davis family during a special ceremony.
Retired U.S. Army Sgt.1st Class Ryan Davis and his family arrive at their newly built Richmond Hill home on Thursday, October 12, 2023. The Gary Sinise Foundation presented the home to the Davis family during a special ceremony.

Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Davis pulled his truck into the driveway of his new Richmond Hill home Thursday morning. About 100 people huddled under a tent on the front lawn as a light rain fell. As Davis and his family made their way across the yard, the crowd erupted with cheers and clapping. It was an exciting day for the Davis family as the Gary Sinise Foundation turned over the keys to a newly built three-bedroom, three-bath, mortgage-free SMART home.

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Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Davis is all smiles as he sits with his wife Asia and their son Knox during a dedication ceremony for their new custom built SMART home on Thursday, October 12, 2023 in Richmond Hill.
Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Davis is all smiles as he sits with his wife Asia and their son Knox during a dedication ceremony for their new custom built SMART home on Thursday, October 12, 2023 in Richmond Hill.

The Gary Sinise Foundation built the new home through the R.I.S.E. Program (Restoring Independence, Supporting Empowerment), to ease many of the mobility challenges Davis faces daily after he was severely injured by an explosion on Aug. 16, 2019, while on deployment in Afghanistan. The family now will have an accessible kitchen that allows Davis to help his wife Asia with meal prep and clean-up and, for the first time since coming home from the hospital, Davis will be able to take his prosthetics off to shower. Most important to Davis, he will be able to say goodnight to his son, Knox, and pray with him at his bedside rather than from the foot of the bed.

Contractor Michael Roberts hugs Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Davis during a dedication ceremony for the new custom SMART home he helped to build for Davis and his family with the support of the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Contractor Michael Roberts hugs Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Davis during a dedication ceremony for the new custom SMART home he helped to build for Davis and his family with the support of the Gary Sinise Foundation.

Sarah Hollis, vice president of philanthropy for the Gary Sinise Foundation, said the dedication ceremony was a way to “show our gratitude and love to support Ryan and his family.”

Richard Burkhart is the visual journalist for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at rbburkhart@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Gary Sinise Foundation presents home to Army Ranger injured in Afghanistan