Folds of Honor Kicks-Off The 2022 Gala with a Patriotic Celebration

Folds of Honor North Texas kicked-off its 2022 gala with a celebration hosted by Monica and Joe Eastin in their lovely Preston Hollow home. It was an evening of vibrant and lively conversation in support of Folds of Honor and its mission to provide educational scholarships to the spouses and children of military members who have fallen or been disabled while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Monica Eastin and Joe Eastin, hosts

Guests were welcomed by a festive red, white and blue party table full of take-home favors, balloons and more, which set the scene for a fun event and echoed the patriotic theme throughout the home. Servers enticed everyone with hearty Tex-Mex hors d’oeuvres as cocktails were served in the outside verandah, open to the fresh breezes of spring as live music serenaded in the background.

Ty and Sarah Duncan, Charlotte and Mark Colby

Sarah Duncan, Regional Development Officer, Folds of Honor, welcomed guests and introduced the guest of honor and speaker, Michael Lammy. Michael gave an inspired and emotional presentation, speaking about his personal journey from being stationed in Guam as a member of the United States Navy where he met his wife and began a family. After a horrific accident, he was unable to continue his service. He turned to Folds of Honor to assist in securing an education for his children. Not only did Folds of Honor provide full scholarships for his wife and two daughters to complete college, his third daughter starts Texas Tech in the fall, thanks to a Folds of Honor scholarship, as well. He said that the gift of education is one that never ends and without the help from FOH, his family would not have been able to afford the education they now treasure. It has truly made a difference in their lives now and certainly in the future.

Meredith Land, Xan Moore

After a rousing round of standing applause, Sarah shared her story as the daughter of a fallen hero and scholarship recipient. She said that after losing her father, Captain Dennis Michael White, Folds of Honor stepped in with a scholarship, which allowed her to attend Auburn. She graduated in 2011. She said that opportunity has made her who she is today. Both stories brought to life the meaning of the nonprofit’s mission and how the crucial funding for Folds of Honor scholarships directly benefits the families of disabled and deceased military members.  

Cameron LeSeane, Chase Cappo, Jordan Smith

The annual gala will take place on Saturday, November 12th on the field of AT&T Stadium. The evening will bring together military families, veterans, scholarship recipients, and members of the North Texas community in an event of celebration that includes dinner, an auction, live entertainment by Emerald City, and fellowship. The money raised is used to provide educational scholarships to the nation’s most deserving families, the ones that sacrifice to protect our freedoms.

Ralph Stow, Linda Armstrong, Scott Kildebeck, Brittany Kildebeck

Guest Post from Oh So Cynthia's Cynthia Smoot: Helping Our Heros

Mark Maness, Marine, Trip Bomar, Carl Fite

Mike Marasco, Jill Wedding

Murchison Oil Team

Partiotic Kickoff at Brookhaven

Registration for gold at Brookhaven

Rushie Mckenzie, Laurie Castellvi, Brandon Pelletier

WW11 Veteran Bill Holden, Guest of Honor Brandon Pelletier

Helping Our Heroes Connects Civilians To Veterans

From the airstrikes against ISIS to the controversy over President Obama’s salute coming off of Marine One, you can't turn on the news these days without seeing stories about our military presence around the world. When we think of our soldiers, you most likely picture them in combat or protecting our allies abroad. The majority of citizens tend to forget about soldiers when they come home. They back it back safely, everything should be fine. But for many the transition back to civilian life can be equally as traumatic as events that may have happened to them while they served especially if they've lost a limb or had serious injuries. Helping Our Heroes Foundation is a Dallas-based charity that works to help those that serve who now need our help to resume a "normal" life.

On Sunday, September 14 over 200 guests attended the Helping Our Heroes Dinner and Auction at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. Attendees enjoyed a delicious dinner from Eddie Deen's, a silent and live auction, and words of encouragement and wisdom from 2014 Guest of Honor, General Terry Drake, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and speaker, Semper Fi member Brandon Pelletier. Pelletier was injured during a night operation in the Al Anbar Province in 2007. His right arm was crushed at the elbow. After several years of evaluations and multiple surgeries, Brandon still has no feeling and is unable to move his arm. These trials have not kept Brandon down and he enthralled and inspired guests with his moving speech about his journey back to a “normal life”. The next day, 300 golfers played a tournament at Brookhaven Country Club and helped raise additional funds through hole-in-one contests, a cigar bar, furthest from the tee contest, etc. While the final tally is still being calculated, event organizers feel confident that this year’s contribution will come in around $100,000.

Funds raised from this event will go to the Semper Fi Fund which helps Marines, sailors, and their families meet their financial needs during difficult times. The Fund works closely with the Marine Corps, the Navy, and the hospitals nationwide to identify and assess the needs of specific families. For more information on Helping Our Heroes, visitwww.HelpingOurHeroes.us.