Home sponsored by Bass Pro Shops and
Lennar
DENVER, May 9, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- Helping a Hero, a non-profit providing support for
military personnel severely injured in the war on terror, Bass Pro
Shops and Lennar, one of the nation's leading homebuilders, broke
ground on a wheelchair-accessible home for U.S. Marine Corporal
Ryan Garza (Ret.). The new Lennar
home is in the master-planned Sterling
Ranch community in Littleton,
CO, near Denver.
Hundreds of people lined the streets waving American flags and
holding handmade signs cheering "Welcome Home, Cpl. Garza." Garza
was greeted by special guests Helping a Hero Executive Director
Rhonda Walls Kerby and Colorado
Chair Vicki Brentin; Tate
Stevens, an American country music artist and National
Ambassador for Helping a Hero; Brock
Smethills, President of Sterling Ranch Development Co.; and
Jason Nazarenus, Denver Division
President for Lennar.
The groundbreaking was part of Helping a Hero's 100 Homes
Challenge, which was launched by Johnny Morris, Founder and
CEO of Bass Pro Shops. Lennar has joined the effort and committed
to building 10 homes for Helping a Hero as part of the 100 Homes
Challenge. Homes by Lennar are being built in Texas, Arizona, Florida and Colorado – with more homes to
be added.
Lennar worked with Helping a Hero to adapt the new home – a
single-story wheelchair-accessible 2,600-square-foot model
featuring four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. The home will
have adaptations such as a roll-in shower, roll-under
sink, lush thresholds, wider doors and other safety features
that will enable Garza to have freedom inside his home for the
first time. Sterling Ranch, a master-planned community of more
than 12,000 homes, lies just 20 miles south of downtown
Denver. This award-winning
community of new homes is positioned in an idyllic valley at the
gateway to the Front Range – nestled between two state parks, three
regional parks, and a national forest.
"It has always been my dream to have a home with a bathroom and
kitchen to accommodate my disability," said Garza. "But this home
is beyond anything I have ever imagined. I am incredibly grateful
to Helping a Hero, Lennar, Sterling
Ranch and Bass Pro Shops for making my dream come true."
"Corporal Garza is a servant leader who has never had an adapted
home," said Helping a Hero Home founder Meredith Iler. "Helping a Hero is thrilled to
partner with Lennar to design a wheelchair accessible home for Ryan
– complete with wider doors and hallways, an adapted bathroom and
other safety features to ensure he has freedom inside his
home."
"Giving back to the communities in which we build is a core
value at Lennar and on behalf of our entire Denver Division, we are
honored that Ryan chose a Lennar home," said Nazarenus. "Our team
is happy to commit our time and resources to create an exceptional
home for an extremely deserving American hero."
Ryan Garza joined the Marines in
April 2008 and was deployed with
Combat Logistics 8 in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Despite the danger, Garza
ultimately volunteered for four tours and experienced significant
firefights almost daily. During his final mission, Garza was in a
seven-ton truck when it was hit by an improvised explosive device.
Garza lost his right leg and sustained other injuries requiring
intensive rehab. He spent 13 months in the Naval Medical Center and
retired in November 2012.
Garza has always been adventurous and loves Colorado – especially its mountains. While
visiting his parents a few weeks ago, he thought he was shopping
for a kayak at a local Bass Pro Shops when over 30 Bass Pro Shops,
Helping a Hero and Lennar team members surprised him with the news
he had been selected for this Helping a Hero home. Garza was so
surprised by the news that he had tears streaming down his
face.
Garza aspires to be a successful author with a focus on
children's books. He just completed a book entitled "My Journey from Guilt to Forgiveness" after
witnessing a buddy commit suicide and not being able to help
him.
About Helping a Hero:
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 engage the community to
provide services and resources for our wounded heroes and their
families. Home recipients include veterans whose permanent injuries
from combat have left them paraplegics, quadriplegics, amputees,
blind, with severe burns and other injuries. Helping A Hero
provides additional support programs including marriage retreats,
caregiver retreats, recreational activities, and emergency needs
support. Helping a Hero Outdoors has expanded to serve our heroes
through hunting and fishing outings.
About the 100 Homes Challenge:
Johnny Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops
and noted conservationist, launched the 100 Homes Challenge and
committed to fund 25 percent of the cost of the next 100 Helping a
Hero homes. Helping a Hero invites the public to join Johnny
Morris in the 100 Homes Challenge by making a donation,
however large or small, to help to fund the other 75 percent of the
cost of these homes.
Helping A Hero is accepting applications from Post 9-11 wounded
warriors needing a specially adapted home due to their combat
injuries to become part of the 100 Homes Challenge. We also invite
the public to Nominate a Hero. Both the home application and the
Nominate a Hero form are available on our website
at www.helpingahero.org.
About Lennar Corporation
Lennar Corporation,
founded in 1954, is one of the nation's leading builders of quality
homes for all generations. Lennar builds affordable, move-up and
active adult homes primarily under the Lennar brand name. Lennar's
Financial Services segment provides mortgage financing, title and
closing services primarily for buyers of Lennar's homes and,
through LMF Commercial, originates mortgage loans secured primarily
by commercial real estate properties
throughout the United States. Lennar's Multifamily
segment is a nationwide developer of high-quality multifamily
rental properties. LENX drives Lennar's technology,
innovation and strategic investments.
Media Contacts:
Margaret Cordes, Communications
Director, HelpingaHero.org
832-655-5499; margaret@helpingahero.org
Danielle Tocco, Vice President
Communications, Lennar Corporation
949-648-1823 mobile, Danielle.tocco@lennar.com
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SOURCE Lennar Corporation