“The Last Full Measure of Devotion”
The Capital Campaign
For over a decade, a leadership team of veterans in Central Florida undertook the task to have a veterans hospital built to serve veterans in the six county region of Central Florida (Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole & Volusia). The Orlando VA Medical Cener is fully operational at Lake Nona, near the UCF Medical School. After securing federal funding for the hospital, the group felt their job was not done. They experienced another sense of urgency–to create a lasting memorial to those in the six counties of Central Florida who answered our country’s call to duty and gave their lives in service to our Nation. They gave, in President Lincoln’s immortal words “the last full measure of devotion.” The Memorial Park project was estimated to be $3 million dollars, for construction and for an endowment to maintain the Memorial Park. This could only be accomplished with public and private philanthropy. Thus, the Central Florida Veterans Memorial Park Foundation, Inc. was established as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS and the State of Florida. Under the State of Florida’s Solicitation of Contributions Act nonprofits must be registered with the State in order to seek gifts and grants from corporations, foundations and residents throughout Florida and in some cases nationally. The capital campaign was a volunteer-driven campaign, under the guidance of periodic fund raising counsel. Outright gifts of cash or stock allowed construction to begin sooner rather than later. Other deferred forms of giving are also welcome and can help fund the endowment. These gifts consist of bequests; paid up life insurance policies; Qualified Charitable Deductions (QCD)as apart of a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from an IRA; and other forms of deferred giving. Make a pledge or if you would like to discuss a gift with a member of the Board of Directors please email us at: de.voorhees@cfvmpf.org or 407-620-1158.