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As kids, we sometimes look up to athletes for inspiration to achieve greatness. They can do so many wonderful things, and they show 
such strength and abilities, but there is a different kind of warrior who fights on a battlefield protecting our great nation.
Daniel ‘Doc’ Jacobs is a Purple Heart recipient after being injured during an improvised exploding device in Iraq. Those tragic events led him to co-found VETSports, and national organization intended to help wounded veterans regain a sense of community with sports, team building workshops and other organized programs. VETSports serves hundreds of wounded warriors across the United States, and in only eight months has helped returning soldiers from coast to coast.
One of the events that VETSports is involved with is Operation Gratitude. This event facilitates care packages addressed to U.S. service members, veterans, and family members left behind. Started in 2003, Operation Gratitude has sent over a million care packages around the globe, and it was here that Upper Deck learned about Jacobs and his story.
Chris Carlin is the sports marketing manager for Upper Deck and says, ” When we heard about Doc’s story we immediately said to ourselves, ‘Now that’s a baseball player we need to make a trading card for'”. On April 20th, 2013, Upper Deck unveiled Jacobs’ ‘Heroic Inspirations’ trading card at a Operation Gratitude ‘Assembly Day’. Baseball icon, Tommy Lasorda was in attendance and says, ” He’s a hero. A lot of youngsters have baseball players as their heroes. One of a man who’s given his leg and toes and hands and everything deserves a card. And a lot of people would like to have his card.”
The ‘Heroic Inspirations’ cards will be inserted in UD’s 2013 Goodwin Champions set with 100 copies signed by Jacobs. The set is due July, 9th 2013, right after America’s Independence Day.
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