Wheels for a Wounded Warrior
It was an April day in Fort Myers, Fla., when war hero Jeff Kelly – who lost his leg during his time in the military, got an unexpected surprise.
Kelly is a husband, father, and a war veteran who’s served three tours of duty. In response to his valiant service, the community came together to appreciate the dedication and sacrifice Kelly made for his country.
Savage 4X4 and City Electric Supply Fort Myers, along with other local organizations, paid it forward by putting together a fundraising event for Jeff Kelly.
CES Fort Myers Branch Manager Jason Ford said employees, friends, and the community raised around $9,000 for Jeff’s big surprise.
Jeep Peeps, a private Jeep club came to CES Fort Myers and Savage 4X4 with the idea of transforming Kelly’s Jeep into the Jeep Wrangler of his dreams.
“My Jeep has been my therapy for living life to the fullest,” Kelly said. Ford added that his Jeep is what moves him forward into exploring new adventures.
What was originally a small project turned into a big fundraising and community event.
The fundraising included a car wash. Employees from Western Florida Lighting, CES Fort Myers, and CES Sarasota came along with families and close friends to help raise money for Kelly’s big dream.
In addition to the car wash, CES Fort Myers also raffled off a Yeti Tundra 75 Cooler, a home water treatment system, and a few other prizes. All proceeds went toward the Jeep build.
The modifications of the Jeep took almost four weeks to complete. Ford said the team thought they were only going to make a few modifications to Kelly’s Jeep, but they decided to go bigger.
The modifications included a custom lift gate, new tires, a paint job, lighting, and much more.
“It was the whole nine yards!” Ford said.
Todd Patrick, a local contractor from Mike Patrick Electric, Inc., donated 32 pork butts for the Build & BBQ held at the Savage 4X4 shop.
For the big reveal, Ford placed a Jeep Sahara (which belongs to Ford’s wife, Jill) behind an RV; Kelly’s Sport model looks similar.
“We wanted to make him think we made just a few modifications to the Jeep before we brought out his own Jeep,” Ford said.
Taking cue from the popular ABC show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, they ‘moved that bus’ for Kelly’s personal extreme Jeep makeover.
Savage 4X4 Owner Jim Thompson yelled, “Driver, move that bus!”
Kelly could see a few custom modifications standing from afar. “Nice try Jim!” is heard from someone nearby.
Linda (Jim Thompson’s wife) quietly drove Kelly’s Jeep behind him and as he turned to face the sound, Kelly saw the big surprise.
Ford said he queued the perfect jam for this moment. Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and right away, Kelly’s expression was full of emotion – happiness, quickly followed by tears.
People cheered, clapped, and hugs were exchanged between Kelly and his wife Michelle.
The name of Kelly’s Jeep is called “Mudd Donkey” as a tribute to Jerrod Niemann’s “Donkey” song which was the second song Ford readied.
Ford said the community came together to show compassion, love, and appreciation toward their war veteran.
“It’s a way of saying thank you to those who have served and really showing care for people. We’re one big community, we help people and help veterans,” Ford said. “They give up their lives to protect ours and some give their life as ultimate sacrifice.”
Ford added the Build & BBQ was a great turnout, the community’s involvement was successful and he plans to do more events like this.
CES Fort Myers and Savage 4X4 will participate at a Christmas in July event to benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida, Inc. The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 23, at Hooters – 3625 Gateway Lane, Naples, Florida.