ORLANDO, Fla - At first glance, former University of Connecticut Husky/current Connecticut Sun guard Ketia Swanier and Apopka, Florida personal trainer Keela Carr have nothing in common.

They did not grow up together, they never played sports together, and they didn’t even know each other until November 2008. But these two kindred spirits have become teammates now, joining forces to make dramatic improvements in the lives of military veterans and children of active duty military personnel.

During the course of 2008, each of these two women formed a non-profit organization. Carr’s organization, A Thousand Thanks, is dedicated to drawing awareness and funding to the causes of military veterans. Swanier’s organization, Ketia4Kidz, functions as a support system for the children of active-duty military personnel.

First Sergeant Cornell Swanier and First Sergent Rosie Swanier have been happily married for many years, but their child Ketia often felt like she was living in a single-parent home. Both parents were active-duty military and were deployed multiple times during the course of their separate careers. Typically one parent was left at home to tend to the family while the other served on the front lines. Rarely were both parents home at the same time.

So Ketia Swanier knows first hand how difficult this can be for children of active-duty military parents, and has created her own foundation to provide support and direction for those kids.

"Troops are supported nationwide and people forget about the children. Children need just as much support. They are the future,” she says.

Her foundation, Ketia4Kids, intends “to motivate children of active-duty military personnel to achieve their dreams and goals by promoting excellence in academics and sports-related programs.” Swanier has targeted Ft. Benning in Columbus, Georgia, for her first “assist” via her outreach program, but intends to expand to as many other military bases as possible. But in order to do this, she needs a teammate.

Carr’s patriotic epiphany came during a visit to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., a few years ago. While she had always been proud to be an American, it was during her visit there that she met and chatted with so many wounded veterans. Carr was deeply and profoundly moved by their dedication and sacrifice. In fact, she was so moved that she decided to do something about it. And so began “The Journey of a Thousand Thanks.”

Starting on Memorial Day in May 2008, Carr walked from Ft. Irwin, California to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Much like the US Postal Service, she trudged through “rain, snow, and gloom of night” all in pursuit of her goal of meeting at least 1,000 veterans and personally thanking them for serving. Her 2,700-mile journey took her down Route 66, through the Grand Canyon, over the Rocky Mountains, and across America’s heartland – all on foot!

Her struggles during this trek were many, but she was spurred on knowing that at the next military base there would be yet another wounded veteran who would humbly insist “I was just doing my job” when she extended her hand in thanks.

“I want to make a difference," Carr said. "Just being thankful isn’t enough for me. I have to do something. And I encourage everybody to do just one positive thing.”

By her count, Carr met and thanked more than 2,000 military veterans during her walk last summer. And so she plans to do it again this summer but with some new, additional responsibilities courtesy of Swanier and the Ketia4Kids organization.

In addition to attending to her own fund-raising and promotional appearances, Swanier has now teamed up with Carr to reach out to all those children living on military bases that will host Carr as she treks across the United States in the summer of 2009. They have formed this patriotic alliance to continue to raise awareness for the plight of military personnel and their families. In the coming months, Swanier and Carr will strategize and create a game plan that piggybacks the Ketia4Kids goals onto the Journey of a Thousand Thanks cross-country walk. Carr’s walk will coincide with Swanier’s WNBA season, but with stops in WNBA cities (Chicago and Indianapolis) there is an excellent chance the two can meet and work their magic together, albeit briefly.

With Swanier running the point and Carr on the wing, the summer of 2009 is a certain win for both!