06/17/2026
🇺🇸 Did you know that for many veterans, one reliable vehicle can mean the difference between unemployment and a paycheck, isolation and independence, hopelessness and a fresh start?
The challenges facing our veteran community are real.
• Approximately 17 veterans die by su***de every day in the United States.
• Thousands of veterans experience homelessness on any given night.
• Right here in Charlotte County, approximately 40,000 veterans call our community home.
That's why Veterans Village is so important. Veterans Village provides housing, support services, mentorship, and resources designed to help veterans regain stability, rebuild their lives, and successfully transition into permanent housing and independence.
As members of a community that is home to nearly 40,000 veterans, Burgr Bar co-owners Walt Fortney and Bobby Buonaiuto know that military service doesn't always end when the uniform comes off. For Walt, a veteran himself, the struggles many veterans face are deeply personal. For both owners, helping where they can is simply the right thing to do.
Rather than simply talking about it, they decided to take action.
Last week, through a partnership with Veterans Village, we were honored to help present a vehicle to a deserving veteran. What started as a donated vehicle became something much more valuable: reliable transportation, new opportunities, and one less obstacle standing in the way of success.
This effort was a reminder of what can happen when a community comes together. Veterans Village identified a deserving recipient, local businesses stepped up, and countless hours were invested behind the scenes to make sure this vehicle was ready for its next chapter.
Special thanks to the teams at Walt's Garage, Fine Line Automotive, NAPA Auto Parts, Prompt Towing, and everyone else who played a role in making this donation possible.
This video captures a moment we'll never forget.
To everyone who helped make this possible, thank you. Whether you donated, supported, shared, or simply encouraged the effort, you played a part in changing someone's life.
This is what community looks like.
And we're just getting started.
If you have a vehicle that's become more of a burden than a blessing, consider reaching out. Together, we can help create another success story for a local veteran.
🎥 Watch the video below and help us congratulate this veteran on his next chapter.
This is "Walts Garage Veteran Car Donation" by Ty Jackson on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
