Gettel Automotive Group Donates Vehicle to Deserving Veteran

December 12, 2022 – Sarasota

Veteran Kirk Wildasin has a commendable record of service to his country and community; now, Wildasin finds himself the beneficiary of a gift that has come at just the right time. The Gettel Automotive Group donated a car to the veteran on December 9, a most welcome gift since Wildasin’s truck was totaled while he was in South County Sarasota helping community members who were in peril after Hurricane Ian.

Wildasin, 48, served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1992-2001. The honor graduate from the Military Police School was hand-selected to be assigned to HMX-1 Security Detail – the presidential helicopter squadron charged with protecting Marine One and the President of the United States.

The Venice resident currently works for Taylor Morrison Homes. Previously, he worked to help veterans while employed by the Veterans Services Offices in Venice. He has been an active board member for SRQ Vets, a volunteer-run nonprofit that works with local and national organizations to solve local veteran problems, since its founding in 2015.

During Hurricane Ian, Wildasin was in contact with family members and friends who live close to his residence. He says that some of them had trees that fell into their driveways, trapping them from leaving. He says he was able to coordinate where to go and who to help first. Once one home was free, he moved to the next (and so on), helping clear roads at the same time, using his 1999 Chevy Tahoe 4×4 to drag trees to the side of the road so cars could make their way through.

The work was so intensive that his chainsaw chain became dull. Wildasin drove to a small equipment store to buy a new chain but then, on his way home from the store, he was T-boned by another car. His airbags deployed and he suffered minor injuries – he is still doing physical therapy for his neck, chest and back – but his truck was totaled; his insurance company said it was non-repairable and the amount he was offered simply wasn’t enough to purchase another vehicle.

Gettel Automotive Group was interested in surprising a veteran with a vehicle for Veterans Day but the timing didn’t work out; Wildasin was recommended for the honor by SRQ Vets and Goodwill Manasota.

“I’m so thrilled to see someone like Kirk – with his stellar military service and his record of service to area veterans and the community – be selected for this gift,” says Todd Hughes, manager for Goodwill Manasota’s American Veterans and Their Families program. “He is a great guy who gives so much to better our community and the prospects for area veterans; it’s wonderful to see him recognized in this way.”

Wildasin received a 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback XSE. Gettel Automotive Group is covering the costs of Wildasin’s car registration; Goodwill Manasota offered to pay for his car insurance from its Special Emergency Resources for Veterans (SERV) Fund but Wildasin insisted the organization save the funds for another veteran in need.

During the brief presentation at Gettel Toyota of Lakewood, owner/CEO Jim Gettel thanked Wildasin for his service, noting, “Veterans too often go unrecognized. This is the giving season – it’s the perfect time to give back.”

“An opportunity like this could not have happened at a better time and I am extremely grateful to have been chosen to receive this vehicle,” Wildasin said. “A great big thank you to Gettel Automotive Group and the company’s families for making this possible – I honestly still can’t believe that this is happening!”