How Los Willows Gives Back to Vets

In honor of Veterans Day this month, we thought we’d share a bit of insight into our Vows for Vets program and why it means so much for us to be able to give back to our community. Owners of Los Willows, Cathie and Al Ransom, are proud supporters of Wounded Warriors and seek to help veterans in every way possible.

Los Willows Gives Back to Vets

As a retired Marine Colonel having served thirty years as an aviator, Al knows how it important it is for a veteran to return stateside and find love, compassion, and support at home. After all, he knows how much Cathie means to him!

In an effort to give back to the veteran community, Cathie and Al established the Vows for Vets program as a way to celebrate love and extend their gratitude to those who’ve laid their lives down for our country.

Created by the Ransoms, Vows for Vets has become a formal part of the Hope Legacy Foundation, a public 501(c)(3) charity. 

For the past ten years, Cathie and Al have hand-selected a deserving couple to contribute a full wedding experience at no cost. This gift includes private use of the Los Willows grounds, as well as any expenses incurred for outside vendors and decorations — from entertainment and catering to floral design and rental equipment.

As active members of the local community, Cathie and Al work with San Diego organizations, like Freedom Station San Diego and Balboa Naval Hospital, that share their mission to uplift veterans. Together, they partner to find the perfect couple to host their wedding.

They have also been grateful for the support of local wedding professionals who have helped them to bring these couples’ weddings to life and provide them with a celebration they’ll never forget.

Each year, Los Willows hosts upwards of 100 weddings — but the Wounded Warrior weddings are the only ones Cathie and Al attend, year after year. Such celebrations are about more than exchanging rings and saying “I do.” They are the Ransoms’ way of honoring and celebrating those who deserve it most.

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