FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Government red tape is once again slowing down progress, delaying help to our soldiers in Iraq and forcing our soldiers at home to work twice as hard to complete a simple task. What is the problem? Government officials won’t listen about a faster, easier way to fill sandbags. Instead, our soldiers in Iraq are developing what has been coined, “Sandbag Palsy.” And at home, every time a hurricane or flood looms, tens of thousands of sandbags must be filled in the old-fashioned, two-person, time consuming, back-straining way. The SackMaster is a shovel-like device which allows one person to fill sandbags quickly and efficiently, saving time and manpower.
The SackMaster (www.TheSackMaster.com) was invented by Mark Martinez and was seen on the hit Simon Cowell show, “American Inventor,” where Mark made it to the finals with his innovative invention.
Since the show ended, Mark has been trying to focus government officials’ attention on the needs of the soldiers in Iraq. “Soldiers returning from Iraq recognized me from TV and begged me to find a way to get The SackMaster to Iraq,” said Martinez.
Martinez did some research and discovered our troops are developing “Sandbag Palsy,” officially known as brachial plexus palsy. This ailment, according to reports from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Natal, Durban, is a severe strain of the back, neck and shoulders, sustained while constructing the much utilized 50 lb. sandbags. The soldiers use sandbags to protect their shelters from shrapnel, to buffer the impact of gunfire on the undersides of their Humvees, and in the trenches to buffer the impact of gunfire.
And on the home front, for the early summer floods in the northeast, the Fort Myer base of Arlington County alone needed about 10,000 sandbags filled within hours. Naturally, soldiers were forced to work through the night to deliver.
“Sandbag Palsy” could be eliminated. And soldiers could work more efficiently and faster to help impending flood and hurricane victims. But, Martinez needs help. He is a brilliant inventor with an amazing product, but he needs someone to open doors to government officials.
Sackmaster USA is requesting that all interested, government officials, government contractors or hardware store representatives please contact Mark via his website, .
NEWS SOURCE: Sackmaster USA
[tags]SackMaster, American Inventor, sandbag palsy, Mark Martinez[/tags]
