DEERFIELD BEACH, FL and JACKSON, MI -- Mapei and the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) have announced an exclusive partnership to assist the Gary Sinise Foundation's R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence, Supporting Empowerment) program. Mapei and the NTCA will provide tile and tile installation systems where needed in the construction of one-of-a-kind specially adapted custom smart homes that the Gary Sinise Foundation has committed to building for our nation's most severely wounded heroes.

The R.I.S.E. program was first brought to the attention of the construction industry by the National Wood Flooring Foundation (NWFA) as part of the "Play it Forward" theme for its 2015 NWFA expo. The NTCA, under the leadership of Executive Director Bart Bettiga, discussed the program with NWFA colleagues and arranged for the NTCA to provide the tiling needs for flooring and wall coverings, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms.

Mapei Corp., a leader in providing tile and stone installation systems and other floor- covering installation systems, had partnered with the NWFA earlier in 2015 after attending the 2015 NWFA expo. Under the direction of Jeff Johnson, Mapei's Business Manager for Floor Covering Installation Systems, Mapei also reached out to Bettiga of the NTCA, offering to provide all of the needed installation materials for the R.I.S.E. smart homes.

"The NWFA started the ball rolling on a meaningful contribution our industry associations can make to the health and independence of our returning veterans who have been severely injured," said Bettiga. "The NTCA, with contributions of tile from various tile manufacturers and installation materials from Mapei, is proud to strengthen this contribution as a way of telling our veterans how proud we are of them." On an individual basis, whenever possible, Bettiga invites the participation of association members who may be able to donate time and labor to the installations.

"As part of our civic commitment, Mapei has long been an ardent sponsor of sports such as the UCI Road World Cycling Championships and arts and cultural programs such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum's recent Alberto Burri exhibition," said Johnson. "Gary Sinise Foundation's R.I.S.E. program has provided us with the honor of helping some of our heroic veterans in situations where our products can be of direct benefit to them."

From Maryland and Florida to California, 12 new smart homes are planned for construction through the R.I.S.E. program over the next year and 10 to 15 additional homes may be added over the ensuing 12 months. To learn more about the Gary Sinise Foundation's program, go to www.garysinisefoundation.org/programs/rise. To learn more about how you can participate, contact Bart Bettiga at (601) 939-2071 or email bart@tile-assn.com.