Appreciate Your Service Corporation awarded a vehicle to 19-year-old EMT and future Firefighter Willis Britton at its second annual Cars & Cocktails fundraiser, held September 11, 2026 — the 25th anniversary of the attacks — at Avila Golf & Country Club in Tampa. Britton starts the January fire academy class. He took delivery three days later.
TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Appreciate Your Service Corporation, a Tampa 501(c)(3) that provides automotive service and reliable transportation to military veterans and first responders, awarded a vehicle to 19-year-old Emergency Medical Technician Willis Britton at its second annual Cars & Cocktails fundraiser, held September 11, 2026 — 25 years to the day after the attacks — at Avila Golf & Country Club in Tampa.
Britton graduated the EMT program at Aparicio-Levy Technical College with honors and is scheduled for the January fire academy class. Tuition assistance had covered the classroom; getting to it was the obstacle. The organization committed the vehicle during the program, and Britton took delivery September 14 at Parks Ford, which also contributed toward the purchase.
Britton addressed the room himself.
"This is beyond a life-changing experience, and I am so excited to get to fire school, and serve this great community for many years to come," said Britton.
"Willis stood up in front of a room full of people he had never met and spoke from the heart. If you want to know what this organization is for, it was standing at that microphone," said Jeff Stanislow, AYS Executive Director.
The evening opened with the University of Tampa Army ROTC Spartan Battalion presenting the Colors, followed by the National Anthem and a moment of silence. Three guest speakers addressed the room: Mike Hicks, a professional caddie of 42 years who was on the bag for Payne Stewart at the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst; Plant City Fire Chief David L. Dittman; and Hillsborough County Commissioner Chris Boles, a former battalion chief with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue who served on the recovery team at the World Trade Center site in the weeks after September 11. Hillsborough County Fire Chief Jason Dougherty and Plant City Fire Rescue Division Chief Ray Torres also attended.
Nashville-based country artist and Tampa native Bryan Edwards performed, spending his birthday on stage as more than 150 guests sang to him. Mollie Rainwater sang as well.
The evening included a vehicle showcase presented by Dimmitt Automotive Group, dinner, and a silent auction.
Appreciate Your Service placed its first vehicle in 2025 with U.S. Navy veteran Tim Hudson, funded by the inaugural Cars & Cocktails, and has since placed an SUV with Konrad Langenheim, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army. The organization's stated goal is to place another vehicle before the end of the year.
A recap of the evening, including video, is at appreciateyourservice.org/cars-cocktails-2026-thank-you.
**2026 sponsors.** AMALIE Motor Oil (title); Dimmitt Automotive Group and the Pepin Family Foundation (silver); Accurate Advisory Group and Grateful American Coin (bronze); and Newstalk 1040 AM Tampa Bay (media partner). The organization also thanked Avila Golf & Country Club, the University of Tampa Army ROTC Spartan Battalion, Parks Ford, Anthony and Lori Barkett, and Louise Lieberher.
About Appreciate Your Service
Appreciate Your Service Corporation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Tampa, Florida. Its mission is to provide tangible expressions of gratitude to active and retired military personnel and first responders by offering a range of valuable services, initially focusing on another significant expense: their automotive service and maintenance needs.
Tax ID 33-3245799. Florida registration #CH78037.
Media Contact
Jeff Stanislow, Appreciate Your Service, 1 2487051320, [email protected], www.appreciateyourservice.org
SOURCE Appreciate Your Service
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