PulteGroup dedicated a new Lakewood Ranch home to U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Lucio Gaytan, who received the home mortgage-free via the builder’s Built to Honor program, which recognizes veterans injured during service.

“Lucio has given so much of himself to this country and we are proud to honor him,” said Josh Graeve, president of PulteGroup’s Southwest Florida division. “We hope this home creates a lifetime of new and happy memories for Lucio and his family.”

Gaytan first joined the military in 1996, serving for over two decades. While training for deployment to Afghanistan in 2005, he sustained major injuries to his neck and spine during a parachute jump. Despite this, he continued to serve until 2018 when he medically retired.

The dedication ceremony, which kicked off with a motorcade procession through Lakewood Ranch, was attended by over 250 guests including PulteGroup personnel, local representatives and neighbors. The unveiling of the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Sapphire Point culminated in the news that the home has been fully furnished for the family — complete with a “Star Wars” themed bedroom for Gaytan’s son and a princess nursery for his daughter.

via PulteGroup

“I stand before you as humble as I can be, and grateful and thankful for my family,” SFC Gaytan said at the ribbon cutting. “This is a great honor. A great weight from my shoulders has come off knowing that my family is going to be okay. Allowing us to do this is like a reset so we can start moving forward.”

Since Built to Honor’s conception in 2013, the program has donated 77 mortgage-free homes to military veterans and their families, totaling over $35 million in value. The builder collaborated with the national nonprofit Building Homes for Heroes for the Gaytan home.