News Article | 6/22/2011

Mayor Mike Moncrief And Miss Rodeo Texas To Lead The Parade And Participate In The Key Presentation Ceremony For Double Amputee, Marine Cpl Zach Briseno

Mayor Mike Moncrief And Miss Rodeo Texas To Lead The Parade And Participate In The Key Presentation Ceremony For Double Amputee, Marine Cpl Zach Briseno For 25th Completed Home Through Helpingahero.Org And The 1st Home In Ft Worth

WHEN: Wednesday, June 29, 2011
       11:00 a.m.- Parade led by Miss Rodeo Texas with hundreds of Cheering Supporters
       11:20 a.m.—Formal Key Presentation Ceremony

WHERE: 8125 Mountain Cedar Drive
                 Fort Worth, Texas 76131

Creekwood Subdivision: (I-35W N to exit 57B (left exit) I-820W, exit 15 FM156/Blue Mound Rd., Right on Blue Mound Road, Left on E. Bailey Boswell, Right on Ash Meadow, Left on Sequoia Way, Right on Rock Elm, Left on Darlington Trail, Right on Mountain Cedar Drive….follow signs)

WHO: Cpl Zach Briseno, USMC (Ret.)
            Mayor Mike Moncrief
            Special Guests TBA
            SGT Eddie Wright, USMC (20th HAH home recipient and double arm amputee)
            Meredith Iler, Chairman, HelpingaHero.org
            Fred Balda, President, Hillwood Development
            Chris Matzke, President, Standard Pacific Homes, Dallas
            Karen Guenther, Founder, Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund
            150 Southwest Airlines Employee Volunteers

On Weds., June 29th, HelpingaHero.org will award its 25th completed home to Corporal Zach Briseno, USMC (Ret.) while hundreds of community supporters cheer him on. Thanks to HelpingaHero.org, Mayor Mike Moncrief officially welcome Cpl Zach Briseno and other special guests to Zach’s new handicapped accessible home.

The morning will kick off with a mini parade that will bring Cpl Zach Briseno and his son to the home. The parade will be led by Miss Rodeo Texas Celesta Harvey. Lots of community supporters, active duty and retired military, Boy Scouts, Southwest Airlines volunteers, will all line the streets with homemade signs and flags and cheer on Zach and Eli as they are ushered to their new home. A brief ceremony will ensue followed by a ribbon cutting and exclusive media tour of the home pointing out all the adapted features of the home.

A Community Bar B Que and fun family activities like Moonwalks, face painting, and sno cones will all be provided and manned by Southwest Airlines employees.

Zach grew up in Fort Worth and played baseball, basketball and football. Both of Zach’s
grandfathers served in the Marine Corp and Zach knew he wanted to be a Marine when he was only 9 years old. In 2005, Zach joined the Marines and did his first tour in Iraq in 2006. His father died one week before his second deployment in 2007. On November 29, 2007, Zach and his convoy were hit by an IED and an anti tank mine exploded under his Humvee. Both of Zach’s legs were blown off below the knee and he also broke his arm and has a plate in his wrist. For his service in Iraq, Cpl Briseno was awarded the Purple Heart for his sacrifice for our freedom and numerous other medals and awards.

Now he is faced with the daily challenges that result from the loss of both of his lower legs. Unfortunately he isn’t able to wear his prosthetics 24 hrs a day. Thus, he has to spend time at home in a wheelchair so he can get around and not overuse his prosthetic legs. He is a leader and is committed to giving back and helping other wounded heroes as they embark on their road to recovery.

“All of us at Standard Pacific Homes are proud to be a part of this project with the Helping a Hero organization. We have worked hard to make sure that every detail in his home will make Zach’s life easier. It is an honor and a privilege for us to have built this new home for Zach and his son, Eli” Chris Matzke, President, Standard Pacific Homes, Dallas

This 4 bedroom, 3 bath home features wider doors, a roll in shower, a roll under sink, flush thresholds, lower counters, wheelchair accessible appliances, and many other safety features that will enable Zach to have a firm foundation as he rebuilds his life. He is a single Dad with a 5 year old son, Eli. Zach dreams of being married one day and perhaps having more children.

Creekwood is a 260-acre master-planned community developed by Hillwood Communities, located where Fort Worth meets Saginaw, in between downtown Fort Worth and Alliance, Texas. From the private swim club, to the large greenbelts, complete with two miles of hike and bike trails, to large home sites and the acclaimed Eagle Mountain/Saginaw ISD, Creekwood is a perfect place to call home.

“Corporal Zach Briseno is a true American hero. He has battled back from a near fatal injury and has endured so much on his road to recovery. We count it an honor to help this young hero begin a new life in a brand new home where his ability to live independently is maximized.” Meredith Iler, National Chairman, HelpingaHero.org.

HelpingaHero.org is also pleased to welcome our newest National Sponsor, Southwest Airlines. We are thrilled that Southwest Airlines has joined the HelpingaHero.org family as our official airline partner and we know that with their support, we will be able to meet the needs of even more wounded heroes. “Southwest Airlines is committed to our country’s military families,” said Megan Wood Southwest Airlines Manager of Community Relations and Giving. “We recognize the challenges that many Veterans face when they’re transitioning back to their everyday lives, and we’re proud to work with HelpingAHero.org to make this transition a time of healing and hope. We wish the Briseno family many years of happiness in their new home.”

The Semper Fi Fund has donated $25,000 towards this home and this is the 4th home the Semper Fi Fund has partnered with HelpingaHero.org to build for a severely wounded Marine. “We are very proud to partner with HelpingaHero.org on Corporal Briseno’s home. Watching Zach throughout his recovery and seeing him now is an inspiration to everyone who knows him. He has that can do attitude and doesn’t let anything deter him from forging ahead.” Karen Guenther, Founder, Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.

Texas based, Helping a Hero is a 501(c)(3) non profit, non-partisan organization providing support for military personnel, severely injured in the war on terror. Our principal activity is to provide specially adapted homes for qualifying service members as well as engaging the community to provide services and resources for our wounded heroes and their families. HelpingaHero.org is the 2nd largest homebuilding organization in the nation for OEF/OIF wounded veterans and has completed 25 homes to date and have another 7 under construction, including one in Frisco, TX. The Frisco home is being built for a Green Beret who received the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his valor in combat after losing his leg to enemy sniper fire in Afghanistan. We expect to present this home to SFC John Wayne Walding, USA, in August 2011. He is married and has 3 children.

An additional 15 homes will be awarded to severely wounded heroes in need of adaptive housing on August 30th at our National Gala with Laura Bush, former First Lady of the United States, including three heroes who are triple amputees. Applications are available online and are still being accepted from severely wounded heroes for these 2011 homes to be awarded at our Gala.

For more information on HelpingaHero.org , visit the website at www.helpingahero.org.

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