PulteGroup's Michigan Division recently celebrated a special homecoming in Wixom, Michigan, welcoming U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal and Purple Heart recipient Daniel Rea and his four children to their new mortgage-free home through the company's Built to Honor® program.
The October 21 celebration at PulteGroup's Timberside Reserve community began with a procession of emergency service vehicles escorting the Rea family to their new neighborhood, where more than 100 community supporters gathered to welcome them. The special ceremony brought together local officials, veteran organizations, family and friends before culminating in an emotional home reveal and ribbon cutting.
Built by PulteGroup's Michigan Division alongside its trade partners, and in partnership with national nonprofit Building Homes for Heroes, the home honors Rea's military service and sacrifice while providing a foundation for his family's future.
Rea enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2010 and was seriously injured during a deployment to Afghanistan in 2011 when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. His recovery required extensive rehabilitation, including relearning how to walk and speak. Today, he continues to pursue his education with aspirations of one day establishing a nonprofit to support fellow veterans.
"You tend to forget that you're remembered when you have all of these people here for your kids and yourself," Rea shared during the ceremony. "It's just mind blowing."
Through Built to Honor, PulteGroup has built and donated more than 100 mortgage-free homes to deserving veterans and their families nationwide, representing more than $40 million in value since the program launched in 2013.
For the Rea family, their new home marks the beginning of a new chapter filled with stability, opportunity and memories yet to be made.