ENTERPRISE BUILDERS, INC. RECEIVES VETERANS HONOR
National Charity Work Vessels for Vets, Inc Presents “Patriot Star” Award To Enterprise Builders for Service to Injured Veterans
NEWINGTON, CT Sometimes, golf makes you cry. That happened at Lake of Isles Golf Center during the 9th Annual Enterprise Builders Charity Golf Tournament. Keith Czarnecki, CEO and Vin McCurry, CFO of Enterprise Builders fought back a tear or two, not for their golf scores, but when John Niekrash and Cathy Cook of Work Vessels for Vets presented the organization’s cherished PATRIOT STAR AWARD to honor Enterprise Builders Inc for their years of dedication and deep commitment to veterans.
For nearly a decade, the Enterprise Builders Charity Golf tournament has dedicated all proceeds to support veteran causes, totaling more than $300,000 over the years. This year’s event raised $50,000 for Work Vessels for Vets, Inc a Connecticut-based, all-volunteer nonprofit with the mission to award equipment to injured veterans who are starting a business
. These funds will be used to purchase equipment for several injured veterans, including drones for Maj. David Daly, USMA (ret) with 100% combat injuries whose business “Vigilante Drones” in San Diego Area will survey agricultural fields, and fire damage. Farm equipment will go to the Equine Rescue and Veteran Therapy Farm started by Sgt Sara Hodgkiss in Lancaster, Pennsylvania so she can expand her work with veterans with PTSD.
The Patriot Star Award bears the embroidered star from a US Flag flown over a battlefield in Iraq or Afghanistan. It recognizes the extraordinary efforts of those who are American patriots helping our military veterans make the transition from combat to career.
Enterprise Builders is now in esteemed company. Recent Patriot Star Awards went to Eagles founder and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Joe Walsh in thanks for creating the VETS AID foundation and using his celebrity and talent to help Work Vessels for Vets and other veterans’ organizations by raising funds playing concerts with his friends. Past Mohegan Tribal Chairman Kevin “Red Eagle” Brown was similarly honored for creating VETS ROCK annual events to help Work Vessels for Vets and others at an all-day veterans’ expo at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.
“Watching how a small gift can make in the life of an injured serviceman is the reason why we started Work Vessels for Vets, Inc. in 2008,” said John Niekrash, who founded the charity with the gift of his commercial fishing vessel to an injured Marine.
Since 2008, Work Vessels for Vets, Inc. has equipped 2200 qualified veteran-entrepreneurs in all 50 states with $3.2 million worth of vessels, vehicles, equipment, tools, tractors, farm equipment, jewelry welders, goats, blueberry bushes, barns, computers, drones, electronics and more. And this is all accomplished by volunteers, keeping the administrative overhead UNDER 1%!, WVFV has earned the highest national awards such as the TOP RATED nonprofit by Great NonProfits rating agency, the esteemed PLATINUM Award for donor integrity and transparency from GUIDE STAR and Better Business Bureau’s highest charity accreditation.
