Kix Brooks Surprises Two Combat Veterans with Custom Built Homes Announcement at CMA Music Festival

Country music star Kix Brooks changed the course of the lives of two combat veterans and their families, announcing that the soldiers will receive custom built homes from the non-profit organization Operation FINALLY HOME. Brooks made the announcement from the Sunday night CMA Music Festival concert at LP Field.

Veterans' families learn they will be receiving a custom built, mortgage-free home from Operation FINALLY HOME. Left to right: Dan Wallrath, Operation FINALLY HOME; Abby Van Dorston; Air Force Combat Controller Staff Sergeant Luke Van Dorston, Ashley Wiley, Kix Brooks.

Air Force Combat Controller Staff Sergeant Luke Van Dorston will receive a home in Thompsons Station, Tenn., and U.S. Army Sgt. Ronny Wiley will receive a home in Charlotte, N.C. Both builds are part of an Operation FINALLY HOME partnership with American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks and LP Building Products to build six homes for deserving veterans across the U.S. in the next two years. Franklin, Tenn.-based Carbine & Associates will construct the Van Dorston home and Classica Homes in Charlotte will build the Wiley home.

“I cannot tell you how moving it is to watch the faces of American heroes and their families as they learn that they no longer have to worry or struggle to have a home,” said Kix Brooks. “There’s no greater feeling than being a part of an effort to honor our military veterans.”

Van Dorston is a 33-year-old highly decorated combat veteran with deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. He flew over 140 combat missions, was involved in more than 64 direct action raids and directed 194 Close Air Support missions. Most recently he served at the Interservice Military Free Fall School where he trained over 500 Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force and Allied Force special operators. His combat engagements earned him two bronze stars, one with valor for heroism. Van Dorston was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2011. Married to Abby Van Dorston, the couple has a one-year-old son.

Wiley served in the U.S. Army for 17 years, including two tours in Iraq, receiving a number of medals throughout his military career. He suffered a traumatic brain injury after hitting an IED while driving a Humvee during his second Iraq tour. Degenerative disk disease limits his physical abilities and he has also been diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, making it difficult to leave his home. Wiley is married to Ashley Wiley and has three children.

“LP is proud to provide materials for the homes for these two heroes,” said Rick Olszewski, executive vice president, sales and marketing. “We are especially excited to be a part of these two builds alongside our customers Carbine and Associates and Classica Homes and Nashville’s American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks.”

“With community and corporate partners, Operation FINALLY HOME not only provides mortgage-free homes for those who have sacrificed so much to defend our country, but together we change their lives and the lives of their families,” said Dan Vargas, Operation FINALLY HOME executive director.

Follow these builds at www.FinallyHomeUSA.com and Facebook.com/FinallyHomeUSA.

About Operation FINALLY HOME

Operation FINALLY HOME was established in 2005 as a non-partisan/non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Operation FINALLY HOME’S mission is to provide custom-made mortgage-free homes to wounded and disabled veterans and the widows of the fallen in an effort to get their lives back on track and become productive members of their communities. Operation FINALLY HOME partners with corporate sponsors, builder associations, builders, developers, individual contributors, and volunteers to help America’s military heroes and their families’ transition from the battlefront to the home front. To find out more, visit www.operationfinallyhome.org.

About Carbine & Associates

Carbine & Associates is a Middle Tennessee construction management team that is focused on producing a product that meets the quality and value expectation of every client. As a team of experienced professionals, the company is intentional about building lasting relationships by keeping clients informed during the construction process. Their established record of transparent cost control, organization, and attention to detail provides a client confidence that is rarely seen within the construction profession. Visit www.carbineandassociates.com for more.

About Classica Homes

Classica Homes opened its doors in 2010 with award winning results. In 2013 the Charlotte Homebuilders Association awarded Classica with two Best Neighborhood awards for the price point and nine Gold and Silver Awards for their home designs. Classica’s attributes their success to innovative and timeless design, personalized care for the customer and homes constructed for lasting value. Visit www.classicahomes.com for more information.

About American Country Countdown

Hosted by superstar Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, ACC is a countdown of Country music’s Top 30 songs. Heard on more than 300 stations nationwide, the program airs on North Carolina radio stations WRHT-FM, 96.3 in Morehead City, WKRX-FM, 96.7 in Roxboro, WWGP-AM, 1050 in Sanford and on WWQQ-FM, 101.3 in Wilmington. The show also proudly airs on the American Forces Radio Network. For additional information visit americancountrycountdown.com.

About LP Building Products

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation is a leading manufacturer of quality engineered wood building materials including OSB, structural framing products, and exterior siding for use in residential, industrial and light commercial construction. From manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Canada, Chile and Brazil, LP products are sold to builders and homeowners through building materials distributors and dealers and retail home centers. Founded in 1973, LP is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under LPX. For more information, visit www.lpcorp.com.

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