Grand Ole Opry, Photo By Chris Hollo
Dan Wallrath (Operation FINALLY HOME Founder); Rusty Carroll (Operation FINALLY HOME Executive Director); Arin and Ethan LaBerge; Geoff Hart (Beazer Division President, Nashville); Craig Morgan
Operation FINALLY HOME, Beazer Homes, and Ashlar Development enlisted Army Veteran and country music artist Craig Morgan to surprise U.S. Army Sergeant Ethan LaBerge and his family ahead of Veterans Day with the news they will be receiving a mortgage-free home in Mt. Juliet on Saturday night during a show at the Grand Ole Opry®.
The organizations have partnered together to build a custom-built, mortgage-free home for the LaBerge family in Nichols Vale outside of Nashville in Wilson County.
Ethan LaBerge and his family thought they were at the Opry as part of a special recognition series for Purple Heart recipients. Ethan was invited by his long-time friend and Case Manager, Amy Hawk-Kost and her husband, Ed Kost, to the Saturday night show as part of the surprise. Following a performance by U.S. Army veteran, Operation FINALLY HOME ambassador and Opry member Craig Morgan, Morgan paused to address the LaBerge family:
“U.S. Army Sergeant Ethan LaBerge and Arin, we thank you for your service to our country,” said Morgan. “While you’re here because you’re a Purple Heart recipient, you’re also here so we can share some exciting news. Thanks to Beazer Homes, Ashlar Development and Operation FINALLY HOME, you are receiving a mortgage-free home in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.”
Representatives from Beazer Homes, Ashlar Development and Operation FINALLY HOME, including Operation FINALLY HOME founder, Dan Wallrath, safely gathered at the Opry to present Ethan and his family with a symbolic key to their new home.