On February 10, Commander Pieratt presented the 2019 Wenatchee Valley VFW Patriot Award to Team Depot. Receiving this award was store manager Richard Madariaga, who led his team of volunteers on two projects to help local veterans and their families. The Home Depot Foundation donated over $10,000 in materials and tools to help these families with exterior makeover projects last summer.

In June, Madariaga guided his team of over 20 volunteers to complete a total yard and garden renovation for a Gold Star mother in Cashmere, WA. Within a 3 window, a new irrigation system, sod, and chain-link fencing was installed around the entire property.

In September, Team Depot was at it again in East Wenatchee when they partnered with our VFW to replace damaged fencing around the property of a Marine Corps veteran and his wife. Removing the old fence that had been blown over during a storm a few years ago, the Home Depot volunteers constructed over 240 feet of sturdy fence that’s designed to stand up against strong winds. Additionally, the Team completed some landscaping tasks to remove a huge grape arbor, prune the hedges and trees, weed the garden beds and clean up an overgrown rock wall.

In total, Team Depot provided over 270 hours of volunteer labor on these projects. The homeowners were thrilled with the outcome of both projects and grateful to the entire renovation team for their hard work.

The Patriot Award is an annual award created by Commander Pieratt 8 years ago to pay tribute to our community partners that have improved the lives of and made a positive impact on military, veterans, and their families in the Wenatchee Valley. Congratulations to the entire Home Depot Team!