ASHBURN, VIRGINIA—APRIL 23, 2018—Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund is pleased to announce that its recent 4th Greater Houston Gala raised over $800,000 to support its mission of giving back to military veterans and immediate family members through education assistance. Over 300 people attended the event on April 6, 2018, at The Hotel Zaza in Houston. Host of “The Zero Nine Hundred” Radio show based in Austin, COL(R) Craig Flowers was the Master of Ceremonies for the night, and keynote speaker MG Paul Hurley shared remarks on love, legacy, and leadership. The night ended with an exciting auction where one very generous and lucky winner departed with a brand-new Mercedes Benz!
The Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund, founded by fellow graduates and classmates of West Point, is inspired by Colonel John “Johnny Mac” McHugh, killed in action in Afghanistan May 18, 2010. An Army aviator, Colonel McHugh served 24 years in the U.S. Army, and is remembered as a selfless soldier, leader, family man, and friend.
“Although we are very proud of the progress we’ve made to date, the peak need years for post 9/11 children of the fallen are just ahead of us. In fact, we believe there are about 200 college-aged kids in Texas alone that need our help. We hope that by the end of the night, we’ll be able to make a big dent in that Texas need.” stated MaryEllen Picciuto, President of the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund.
The title sponsor for the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund 4th Greater Houston Gala was Mercedes-Benz. The gala was also generously sponsored by dozens of corporations and organizations including 7-Eleven, Comfort Systems USA, EMCOR, Victaulic, Hubbell, SiteOne Landscape Supply, BMO Harris Bank, Baker, and Group 1 Automotive.
About Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund
Established in 2014, the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring military service and sacrifice by providing college scholarships to veterans and military family members, particularly children of our nation’s fallen. The fund is inspired by Colonel John “Johnny Mac” McHugh, KIA in Kabul, Afghanistan on May 18, 2010. To date, Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund has awarded $7.5 million in college scholarships, funding 1,000 students. To learn more or to support the mission of Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund, visit www.JohnnyMac.org