In June, Team Freedom Cares and the First Flyer Program held the 3rd annual Freedom Mortgage 5K and 1 Mile Walk benefitting the Liberty USO and Homes for our Troops (HFOT). Over 150 employees and their families braved the cloudy skies and windy conditions to gather at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, NJ to support the runners and members of our armed forces. The event raised over $4,000 for these charities and was once again a great day for everyone involved.
Special guests from the Liberty USO and HFOT attended, including HFOT recipient Timothy Birckhead. Tim served for seven years as an air-launched weapons technician on the USS Iwo-Jima until he developed hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies, causing progressive weakness and atrophy in his limbs. Homes for Our Troops gave Tim a new lease on life in a fully wheelchair-accessible home, enabling him to reclaim his independence. Homes like Tim’s would not be possible without funds raised by events like the Freedom Mortgage 5K. We are proud to support our veterans and give back in the communities in which we operate.
In addition to coordinating the annual 5K event, First Flyers held numerous fundraisers for this cause, including the Save Your Cohort Leader Competition. Each of the four First Flyer Cohorts, Team Blue, Eagle, White, and Gold, competed to donate the most to the 5K run and “save” their cohort leader from being pied in the face. Team White came in first place and got to pie Team Gold’s cohort leader in the face.
The First Flyer program participates in various charitable initiatives year-round to support the company’s strong heritage of giving back in the local communities it operates. As one of the nation’s largest U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs approved mortgage lenders, providing for the needs of Veterans and active service men and women remains a strong pillar of the Freedom Mortgage’s philanthropic values.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2018 Team Freedom Cares 5K and 1 Mile Fun Walk. We hope to see you next year!
