A Fresh Start: U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Daniel Beesting Surprised with New Mortgage-Free Home in Southwest Florida

The Southwest Florida community rallied around a wounded warrior who not only sacrificed for his country but also lost everything to Hurricane Ian.

What U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Daniel Beesting thought was a final interview turned into the surprise of a lifetime. At PulteGroup's Lakespur at Wellen Park community, TSgt. Beesting and his family were stunned to discover they weren’t being interviewed at all. Instead, they had been selected as the recipients of a brand-new, mortgage-free home. The emotional surprise culminated in a groundbreaking ceremony marking the symbolic start of construction on their new beginning.

TSgt. Beesting's story is one of resilience tested twice over. After serving his country for nine and a half years and being honorably discharged as a disabled combat-wounded veteran, he returned home only to face another battle when Hurricane Ian destroyed his family's home. Left with nowhere to live, the Beesting family found themselves living in an RV parked in their driveway, starting over both financially and emotionally.

"This is a total restart financially for them to be gifted a mortgage-free home," shared Josh Graeve, PulteGroup's Southwest Florida Division President. “If I were to describe the way that this event makes me feel, it would be purpose. Being able to come together and donate a mortgage-free home to a combat-wounded veteran gives me such purpose in our leadership as a community.”

The project is made possible through a partnership with Building Homes for Heroes and the generous contributions of trade partners who are donating their time, materials and labor to ensure this hero and his family have a safe place to call home.

This is what it means to build incredible places where people can live their dreams – and sometimes, their second chances.

For the last decade, PulteGroup’s Built to Honor® program has recognized and thanked 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 over 95 homes, gifting more than $35 million in value, 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.