Georgia Aquarium is committed to serving the brave men and women, active and retired, who have served our country. As a thank you for their incredible service, Georgia Aquarium developed the Veterans Immersion Program in 2008 as a way to support the wounded heroes in our armed forces.

Many veterans face long-term rehabilitation from injuries sustained while in service and the program is designed to aid in that recovery while engaging the veteran outside of the typical rehab environment.

“I love being able to take people out of the every day rehab scene,” says Susan Oglesby, manager dive immersion programs, C.T.R.S., “When everyone finishes, people have so much to say.”

“It really calmed me down and I feel more relaxed,” says veteran Ian Coyne. “It was nice to be very relaxed, calm and peaceful.”

The program has served more than 1,500 veterans and active military members, and the dives and swims take place in Ocean Voyager Built by Home Depot. The exhibit holds more than 6.3 million gallons of water, and has over 5,000 different animals from more than 50 different species.

The impact the program has is immense, as one veteran who took part wrote a letter saying, “I hope you know what a huge impact you’ve had on this soldier’s life."

Since 2012, The Home Depot Foundation has made Georgia Aquarium’s Veteran Immersion Program possible along with private supporters. To learn more about the program or join The Home Depot Foundation in support, visit https://georgiaaquarium-2131.wedid.it/