PulteGroup Dedicates New Mortgage-Free Home in Southwest Florida to U.S. Army Veteran and Family

For the last decade, PulteGroup’s Built to Honor® program has built and donated new homes to injured military personnel across the country

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In its 10th year of providing mortgage-free homes to deserving veterans, national homebuilder PulteGroup has dedicated a new home to U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Lucio Gaytan in Southwest Florida. After being led by a special motorcade procession through their new neighborhood, the Gaytan family received a warm welcome to their new mortgage-free Pulte home in the Sapphire Point at Lakewood Ranch community. The home was donated to SFC Gaytan through PulteGroup’s Built to Honor® program, which recognizes and thanks military personnel who have been injured during their service.

“Lucio has given so much of himself to this country and we are proud to honor him,” said Josh Graeve, president of PulteGroup’s Southwest Florida Division. “We hope this home creates a lifetime of new and happy memories for Lucio and his family.”

Attended by more than 250 guests, including PulteGroup employees and trade partners, Lakewood Ranch community representatives, state and local builder representatives and dignitaries, and neighbors, the dedication ceremony event marked the completion of the Gaytan’s four-bedroom, three-bath home. To the family’s surprise, the home was fully furnished, complete with a Star Wars-themed bedroom for their son, and a princess-themed nursery for their daughter.

“I stand before you as humble as I can be and grateful and thankful for my family,” SFC Gaytan said before the ribbon cutting for his home. “This is a great honor. A great weight from my shoulders has come off knowing that my family is going to be OK. Allowing us to do this is like a reset so we can start moving forward."

Since launching Built to Honor in 2013, PulteGroup has donated 77 mortgage-free homes to veterans and their families, totaling more than $35 million in value. Recipients are identified through partnerships with other organizations serving military veterans. For the Gaytan home, PulteGroup worked with Building Homes for Heroes®, a national non-profit organization devoted to bringing renewed hope and service to injured veterans.

“Our Built to Honor program is a way for us to show our gratitude to the heroes who have given so much in service to our nation,” said PulteGroup President and CEO Ryan Marshall. “This home would not be possible without the tremendous efforts and dedication of our entire Southwest Florida team, and the generous support of our trade partners and suppliers.”

U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Lucio Gaytan

Army Sergeant First Class Lucio Gaytan joined the military in 1996 and served for more than two decades. While training for a deployment to Afghanistan in 2005, he was injured during a parachute jump and sustained injuries to his neck and spine from a severe landing fall. Despite his injuries, he completed his deployment overseas and continued to serve until he was physically unable. After being transferred to the Warrior Transition Battalion, he medically retired in 2018.

For his service to his country, SFC Gaytan has been awarded several military honors, including the Bronze Star Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ 4 Campaign Stars, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

SFC Gaytan has undergone many medical procedures to help with his injuries, but still suffers from chronic pain and a traumatic brain injury (TBI), hearing loss and tinnitus. Despite his injuries, SFC Gaytan is a participant in adaptive sports, such as wheelchair basketball, wheelchair football, and has even taken part in the Department of Defense (DoD) Warrior Games for Team SOCOM.

About Built to Honor®

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 76 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.

About PulteGroup

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE: PHM), based in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of America’s largest homebuilding companies with operations in more than 40 markets throughout the country. Through its brand portfolio that includes Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, American West and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, the company is one of the industry’s most versatile homebuilders able to meet the needs of multiple buyer groups and respond to changing consumer demand. PulteGroup’s purpose is building incredible places where people can live their dreams.

For more information about PulteGroup, Inc. and PulteGroup brands, go to pultegroup.com; pulte.com; centex.com; delwebb.com; divosta.com; jwhomes.com; and americanwesthomes.com. Follow PulteGroup, Inc. on Twitter: @PulteGroupNews.