A U.S. Air Force veteran and his wife from Cocoa, Florida received the news of a lifetime just one month into the new year. They were chosen to receive a brand-new mortgage-free home in Port St. Lucie, Florida, awarded by national homebuilder PulteGroup through the company’s Built to Honor® program.
On February 1, U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Francis “Frankie” Reilly visited with Southeast Florida PulteGroup division leaders in St. Lucie County. He believed he was interviewing as part of the application process, but he had already been selected by the team. When he arrived for his meeting, the PulteGroup team surprised him with the big news.
“This has been the surprise of a lifetime, and we are so incredibly grateful to everyone involved for making this happen for us,” said Reilly. “It is absolutely a dream come true for us.”
The home will be built on a large estate lot with a private preserve backyard view in the gated Heron Preserve community by Pulte Homes. The Reillys will receive the Easley floor plan which ranges from 3-5 bedrooms and 2.5-4 bathrooms, and either a 2- or 3- car garage. With a base size of 2,685 square feet, the Easley is the largest single-story model in Heron Preserve, and the family will have an opportunity to customize it for their specific needs. Community amenities include a resort-style pool, cabanas, and a tot lot. Construction of the home will begin this Spring.
“It is a privilege for PulteGroup employees, along with our trade partners and suppliers, to give back to our nation’s veterans in a meaningful way,” said PulteGroup Southeast Florida Division President, Brent Baker. “This family is so deserving of this gift. We look forward to working with them as we build this home to meet their needs and help them create wonderful new memories in this next chapter of their lives.”
PulteGroup has awarded the home in partnership with Building Homes for Heroes®, a national non-profit organization devoted to bringing renewed hope and service to injured veterans.
“We are extremely grateful to PulteGroup and their Built to Honor program for supporting our veterans and military families with mortgage-free homes,” said Rusty Smallwood, Operations Manager for Building Homes for Heroes®.
PulteGroup’s Built to Honor program was launched in 2013 to recognize and thank returning military personnel who have been injured during their term of service by providing them with mortgage-free homes. Over the past 10 years, the company has delivered over 75 new-construction homes to veterans nationwide.
Reilly joined the military in 1994 and served honorably for 24 years before being medically retired. He was injured during a special operation while acting as a jumpmaster. As his parachute deployed, it caught his leg and pulled it backward causing severe trauma to his leg and foot that found him at two different level one trauma centers. He now has permanent paralysis in his right leg, and his recovery continues. Sergeant Reilly was also diagnosed with PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury) after a mission that left several close teammates critically injured. For service to his country, USAF Master Sergeant Reilly is the recipient of more than 25 service medals.
Now, as he continues his recovery, Reilly has become a paralympic cycling athlete and hopes to qualify for the Olympics. He and wife Heather are looking forward to relocating to Port St. Lucie, in a new home that they can call their own, where he can continue to recover and make new memories with family.
About Built to Honor®
PulteGroup’s Built to Honor® program recognizes and thanks returning military personnel who have been injured during their term of service by providing mortgage-free homes to veterans and their families. Launched in 2013, the program has built and donated more than 75 homes across the country. Built to Honor works in partnership with nonprofit organizations to identify veteran candidates. For more information about Built to Honor, go to builttohonor.org. Follow Built to Honor on Twitter: @BuiltToHonor and Facebook.com/BuiltToHonor.
About PulteGroup
PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM), based in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of America’s largest homebuilding companies with operations in approximately 50 markets throughout the country. Through its brand portfolio that includes Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, the company is one of the industry’s most versatile homebuilders able to meet the needs of multiple buyer groups and respond to changing consumer demand. PulteGroup conducts extensive research to provide homebuyers with innovative solutions and consumer inspired homes and communities to make lives better.
For more information about PulteGroup, Inc. and PulteGroup brands, go to pultegroup.com; pulte.com; centex.com; delwebb.com; divosta.com; jwhomes.com; and americanwesthomes.com. Follow PulteGroup, Inc. on Twitter: @PulteGroupNews.
