From the beginning, we set out to create a truly interactive experience, challenging ourselves to find a solve that would transport veterans to the parade in New York City.

At the parade, we anchored a 360 degree camera to the Navy float; engaging with leaflets and signs asking them to cheer for the veterans marching virtually. Then, we brought the parade to veterans across the country using virtual reality and Cardboard. When the veterans looked through the Cardboard viewfinder, they were instantly there, on the float; they could look up, down, and side to side to see the sailors standing around them and the crowds cheering along the sides of the street.

Technology bridged the gap between the parade and the hospital -- turning what is traditionally a one-way experience into a two way interaction between the veterans and those who came to honor them.

Veterans and volunteers hosted virtual march parties in 11 veterans hospitals across the country, reaching more than 4,000 virtual marchers. These marchers ranged from those stopping by the VA for a checkup, to permanent hospital residents, to those recovering in the spinal surgery wards.

One veteran remarked “You just took me away from this hospital room and took me to New York. And you didn't even charge me airfare!"

To expand the impact, we also made the 360 footage available online for any veteran, anywhere, to view -- through Cardboard, mobile phone, or desktop. Over the holidays, we also distributed Cardboards to Fisher House families, expanding the impact of the footage and reaching the children and loved ones of those currently undergoing treatment in the hospitals.

100+ Veterans and volunteers pitched in

4000+ people experienced the virtual march in VA facilities

50+ news stories about the virtual march

The video footage garnered:

15M views on Facebook and YouTube

100K+ likes and shares on Facebook

3K+ meaningful comments

While the impact can be listed in numbers, the more striking and important impact came as we watched Veterans looking through the Cardboard viewfinders -- moving their feet to the beat of the marching band, saluting to those virtually marching next to them, and singing the national anthem along with the crowd in New York.