In 2010, Hope For The Warriors established their annual Gala to commemorate our combat wounded service members, veterans, their families, and the families of the fallen. This Gala was to focus on the hope these men and women inspire through their remarkable stories of recovery and achievement. Now, our 10th annual Got Heart Give Hope Gala and The Vigiano Family Hope & Courage Awards, we continue the tradition of honoring outstanding examples of selfless acts of service.
ABOUT THE GOT HEART GIVE HOPE GALA
Hope For The Warriors Got Heart Give Hope Gala is an intimate, black-tie affair honoring members of our nation’s Armed Forces and their families with the Vigiano Family Hope and Courage Award, named in honor of the Vigiano Family, who lost both their sons in the September 11th attacks.
Hope For The Warriors brings together its veteran and civilian supporters to celebrate the strength and resiliency of the military community. It’s a night filled with inspiring and uplifting stories that raise awareness of the impactful work Hope For The Warriors is doing across the country. Senior military, distinguished guests, corporate benefactors, and friends join together to celebrate this very special evening.[/vc_column_text]
That same inaugural year, STUDIOetc generously donated their time to create the beautiful Got Heart Give Hope logo. STUDIOetc brilliantly illustrates the Hope For The Warriors mission and depicts our dedication to the individual, the family, and the community – also portraying Purple Heart recipients and wounded service members. It incorporates the ribbon, a traditional symbol of support, and the heart, which evokes the Got Heart Give Hope theme for the evening.
Since 2010, the Vigiano Family Hope & Courage Awards have been presented to service members and military families who have demonstrated both hope and courage in the face of extraordinary circumstances. Each honoree is an outstanding example of service to our nation.
On September 11, 2014, Hope For The Warriors announced that the award would be named in honor of a very special family. Captain John Vigiano, Sr. retired FDNY, and his wife Jan, gave both of their sons on 9/11-one who served as a fire fighter and the other as a police officer in New York City. The Vigiano family has long served their country and their community. John served five years in the Marine Corps and then 36 years in the FDNY, becoming one of the most highly decorated fire fighters in NYC. After the tragedy of 9/11, the family continues to serve by supporting service members and military families. John visited troops in Iraq to personally thank them for their courage and sat at their bedside in medical centers to encourage their recovery. John joined Hope For The Warriors as an Honorary Board Member in 2006 and Jan continues to shine with strength and wisdom for her family.
Over the years there have been many Vigiano Family Hope & Courage Award recipients, to learn more about them and their stories visit our Award Honorees page.
Hope For The Warriors’ success — providing over 12,000 services to the warrior community each year — is not possible without our volunteers and partners in mission. For the first time this year, in celebration of our 10th gala and embracing the spirit of John Vigiano’s legacy, we’ve introduced the following awards to highlight individuals, corporations and organizations who have stood beside us since the early days and continue to stand with us. Just like John Vigiano, each of these recipients understand serving our country’s veteran and military population is a community commitment. It’s a constant reminder of a resilient spirit who rose above unthinkable tragedy with a simple goal of helping others.
CHAIRMAN’S AWARD FOR CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
Presented to a group who not only highlights the benefits of veterans in the workplace but leads by example in enriching the lives of military families, both active duty and retired.
PARTNER IN HOPE AWARD
Presented to longtime strategic partner of HOPE. It takes a village to properly serve those who have served our country, and mutual trust and friendship are keys to successful, meaningful impact.
COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD
Presented to group of individuals who not only define community but also have a shared commitment to uplifting the warrior community in their area.
VETERAN IMPACT AWARD
Awarded to a company where veterans are valued as part of company culture, both as employees and as significant contributors to the community.
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Given to an individual who puts his or her patriotism in action to serve military families and raise awareness of the needs of the military community.
HARRY BRIDGWOOD LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD
Awarded to a Vietnam-era veteran who has committed his or her life to serving the next generations of the warrior community.
A tremendous thank you to our Gala committee and our sponsors who made this event possible.
| Chair | Courtney Spaeth | growth [period] Peter Abrahams | Washington Business Journal |
| Jennifer Bognet | Bognet Construction | |
| Neil Jarvis | Boeing | |
| Adam Ostrach | Capital One Bank | |
| Dan Peyton | Plaza Construction | |
| JoAnn Stonier | MasterCard | |
| Steve Taylor | Lyft |
SPONSORS:
HONOR SPONSORS | $25,000
| Gary Sinise Charitable Foundation | Siemens Government Technologies |
VALOR SPONSOR | $15,000
| Altria |
PATRIOT SPONSORS | $10,000
| Bill Nelson | Bob Myers |
| Bognet Construction | Fisher House Foundation |
| Forward Air | Greater Washington Board of Trade |
| growth[period] Jack Marin | Plaza Construction |
| Roberts & Ryan Investments, Inc | Washington Business Journal |
COURAGE SPONSORS | $5,000
| B3 Solutions | Capital One |
| Clayton Home Building Group | HVACC Complete |
| Informatica | Johnny Bench |
| MAGNA Lifting | MasterCard |
| Merrill Lynch | JoAnn Stonier |
| Raycom Media | Gray Media | Power Design |
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
| Casey’s General Store | Dave Gagnon |
| The Kesslers | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius |
| Patricia Young | Veterans United |
| Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati |
Hope For The Warriors Honors The Memory Of John Vigiano At The 10th annual Got Heart Give Hope Gala
SPRINGFIELD, Va. – Hope For The Warriors hosted its 10th Annual Got Heart Give Hope Gala Thursday at Union Station in Washington, DC. The annual event honored three members of our nation’s armed forces and their families with the Vigiano Family Hope & Courage Award. In celebration of the event’s 10th year, six new awards…
Got Heart Give Hope Gala: 10th Annual Event Centered Around Honoring the Vigiano Legacy
The 10th Anniversary Got Heart Give Hope gala held on October 17, 2019 at Union Station in Washington, D.C. was an enchanting evening that united military and civilian communities in a celebration of the strength and resilience of our Armed Forces and their families. In attendance were longtime supporters and friends, Purple Heart recipients, Generals…
Jacksonville Resident Retired U.S. Marine Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris Hedgcorth Honored With Vigiano Family Hope And Courage Award
SPRINGFIELD, Va. – Thursday night, Jacksonville resident retired U.S. Marine Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris Hedgcorth was named a recipient of the Vigiano Family Hope and Courage award at the 10th annual Hope For The Warriors Got Heart Give Hope Gala in Washington, DC. Hedgcorth was one of three Vigiano Family Hope and Courage award…
Alexandria Resident Retired U.S. Army Colonel David Sutherland Honored With Vigiano Family Hope And Courage Award
SPRINGFIELD, Va. – Thursday night, Alexandria resident retired U.S. Army Colonel David Sutherland was named a recipient of the Vigiano Family Hope and Courage award at the 10th annual Hope For The Warriors Got Heart Give Hope Gala in Washington, DC. Sutherland was one of three Vigiano Family Hope and Courage Award winners, presented by…
Alexandria Resident Colleen Rose Honored With Vigiano Family Hope And Courage Award
SPRINGFIELD, Va. – Thursday night, Alexandria resident Colleen Rose was named a recipient of the Vigiano Family Hope and Courage award at the 10th annual Hope For The Warriors Got Heart Give Hope Gala in Washington, DC. Rose was one of three Vigiano Family Hope and Courage Award honorees, presented by award-winning actor/humanitarian Gary Sinise…
Got Heart Give Hope Gala: Chris Hedgcorth
One of the best parts of our annual Got Heart Give Hope Gala is recognizing and honoring members of our community who truly embody our values of restoring self, family and hope. Chris Hedgcorth has been with Hope For The Warriors since the very beginning at Camp Lejeune and Wounded Warrior Battalion East. He was…
Got Heart Give Hope Gala: Colleen Rose
Colleen Rose has been involved with Hope For The Warriors on many different personal levels, both as a military spouse and caregiver receiving support. Yet we at HOPE feel we’re the ones who have benefitted more by knowing Colleen. She’s a remarkable individual shaped by her husband’s service and story, but her journey is just…
Got Heart Give Hope Gala: Colonel David Sutherland
It is our honor to present a 2019 Vigiano Family Hope & Courage Award to a man who has been instrumental in the effort to provide for servicemembers, veterans, military families and families of the Fallen, Colonel David Sutherland. David is the Chairman of the Center for Military and Veterans Community Services (Dixon Center) and…
The art therapy session at the Caregiver Workshop encouraged me to focus on being good enough, not perfect, for my kids, my husband—and myself. That’s a huge stress reliever! Going to all three workshops helped me reinforce the habit of taking care of myself and sharing what I’ve learned with other caregivers.
—Military Caregiver Linsie Ojard