Entrepreneurs for North Texas Rally the Troops During 13th Annual 'Freedom Day'

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - August 21, 2014) - More than 911+ volunteers will join forces with Entrepreneurs for North Texas (EFNT) during their 13^th Annual Freedom Day on September 11, 2014, to revitalize the Dallas VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) campus and veteran housing. Volunteers will paint, landscape and provide upgrades and repairs to selected areas of the VA Hospital and Fisher House, as well as to offsite veteran transitional housing and veteran homes in our community.

Each year, EFNT, a program of Communities Foundation of Texas, honors the lives lost and changed during the terrorist attacks of 9/11 by hosting an inspirational and impactful day of community service. For the first time, EFNT is partnering with Rebuilding Together Greater Dallas to serve those who have served all of us -- the nation's veterans. 

"Because the focus of our 2014 Freedom Day is on veterans, we reached out to Rebuilding Together Greater Dallas to create a deeper impact on the veteran community," said Sejal Desai, Program Director of EFNT.

Volunteers from various EFNT Member Companies and volunteers working with Rebuilding Together Greater Dallas will meet in Victory Plaza to celebrate and commemorate the heroes from 9/11. After a brief Opening Ceremony, volunteers will be deployed to their assigned work sites to begin their day of service.

"Rebuilding Together Greater Dallas is very proud of our Freedom Day partnership with EFNT to honor veterans," said Dennis Luellen, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together. "To serve these heroes by improving their homes and their medical facility on such a significant day as 9/11 is a meaningful opportunity for everyone involved."

Camden Properties, Home Depot and other corporations are donating their employees' time, talent, knowledge and experience to lead the various construction and improvement projects on Freedom Day. "Having experienced construction and maintenance personnel on site will allow the corporate volunteers to be as efficient as possible during this day of service," Luellen noted.

"We greatly appreciate the community support from Entrepreneurs For North Texas, Rebuilding Together Greater Dallas, Camden Properties, Home Depot and other corporations," said Mr. Jeff Milligan, Director, VA North Texas HCS. "Only by working together as one community can we ensure our services complement one another in our mission to improve the health and well-being of our North Texas Veterans," Milligan explained.

Freedom Day started in 2002, and since then, more than 5,000 volunteers from EFNT Member and Sponsor Companies have completed 25,000 hours of service on 9/11. In 2013, a record-breaking 560 volunteers from 59 EFNT Member Companies participated in the day of service, contributing service valued at more than $70,000. It is EFNT's year-round mission to make it easy for small and mid-size companies to be good corporate citizens.

"There's no better way to honor the lives lost and changed on Sept. 11 than by making a positive impact on the lives of people in our community," said Brent Christopher, President and CEO of Communities Foundation of Texas. "EFNT's Freedom Day is a chance for corporate volunteers from all walks of life to work side by side to improve the physical and living environments of those heroes who have served their country."

Since Freedom Day's inception, EFNT Member Companies have provided valuable service to important nonprofits including DISD, Dallas Fire-Rescue, Texas Trees Foundation, the Innercity Community Development Corporation, Catholic Charities of Dallas at the Brady Center, Interfaith Housing Coalition, the Wilkinson Center, Community Homes for Adults Incorporated, Camp Summit, Junior Achievement, African-American Museum at Fair Park and The Science Place.

"Freedom Day is a wonderful opportunity for teams of good corporate citizens to give back to the community and transform memories of tragedy into triumph," said Pam Gerber, Executive Director of EFNT. "It's a significant event that demonstrates our support and commitment to veterans, their families and the entities that serve them, such as the VA Hospital."

Several EFNT Member Companies have generously sponsored 2014 Freedom Day, including Cornerstone Sponsors -- Hunt Consolidated Investments and Mutual Capital Alliance; Freedom Day Sponsors -- Mavenir, Montgomery Coscia Greilich, LLP, Inc. Small Giants Community, T. Boone Pickens Foundation, Westcott Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, BB&T, Daegis, Optimal Blue, NTT Data, Inc., Shields Legal Group, Dallas Business Journal; In-Kind Sponsors -- D Magazine, Dallas HD Films, Platinum IDS and Panera Bread.

Additional information about becoming a Member of EFNT and participating in Freedom Day is available online at www.efnt.org or www.EFNTFreedomDay.org.

About EFNT
A program of Communities Foundation of Texas, the Entrepreneurs For North Texas (EFNT) facilitates community involvement and philanthropy for small and mid-size companies who want to make a beneficial impact on their communities. Operating as an outsourced community affairs department, EFNT provides its Member Companies with the resources to assist them in developing a company culture of good corporate citizenship.

About Communities Foundation of Texas
In 2013, Communities Foundation of Texas marks its 60th anniversary of "Giving Back and Looking Forward." As the largest community foundation in Texas and one of the largest in the nation, CFT works with families, companies and nonprofits to strengthen our community through a variety of charitable funds and strategic grant making initiatives. CFT is committed to serving and understanding donor needs, expertly handling complex gifts, wisely managing charitable funds, and leveraging its community knowledge to increase charitable impact. The foundation professionally manages more than 900 charitable funds and has awarded more than $1.3 billion in grants since its founding in 1953. www.cftexas.org.

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