St. Petersburg musical auction funds housing programs for homeless veterans

A Memorial Day benefit concert for veterans

A Memorial Day concert and silent auction to raise money for veterans and Gold Star Families was held in St. Petersburg. FOX 13's Danielle Zulkosky has the story. 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla - A local St. Petersburg band held a Wilson Van benefit concert and silent auction Sunday evening to raise money for veterans and Gold Star families. 

The musical performance drew crowds of regional supporters looking to give back to military organizations.

Wilson Van benefit concert

What we know:

Wilson Van is a family band made up of Fox 13's own Mark Wilson and his two brothers Patrick, an actor, and Paul, a business owner. The concert was hosted at Ferg's Sports Bar in St. Petersburg, benefiting both Gold Star Fathers of Florida and Tampa Homeless Outreach.

Actor Patrick Wilson performs on stage Sunday evening during a special family band benefit concert at Ferg's Sports Bar in St. Petersburg.

Gold Star family members said the money raised Sunday evening will keep their community mission moving forward. The other beneficiary, Tampa Homeless Outreach, works to locate and identify homeless veterans, aid them in finding emergency shelters, and assist in providing necessities to improve their quality of life.

Family military tragedy details

The backstory:

Don and Michele Carey founded Gold Star Fathers of Florida in 2012 originally to be an outreach for fathers of the fallen. The couple started this benefit group to help fathers find a path to grieve following the loss of their son Barton Russell Humlhanz, a corporal in the Marines who died in 2004 while serving in Iraq.

The official social media network for Gold Star Fathers of Florida, Inc. helps connect fathers of fallen service members to regional outreach events and grieving resources.

Board member Dean Coleman also experienced a personal tragedy, losing his son Justin Dean Coleman, a specialist in the Army 10th Mountain Division, while serving in Afghanistan in 2009. Despite dealing with separate health issues in 2020, the founders have continued expanding their programs to help all members of the Gold Star community.

Regional military family reactions

What they're saying:

"A person can die twice, once when they are actually killed or die, and the other time is when their names are forgotten," Michele Carey said. "So, we don't ever want the names to be forgotten."

"It means a lot. It helps keep his name alive," Dean Coleman said. "It helps a lot of his friends that still have bad problems and that helps people with PTSD. It does help a lot a people."

Continued veteran community aid

What you can do:

Citizens interested in supporting local military outreach programs can find additional educational resources on the official organization websites. Financial contributions help fund children's Christmas presents for Gold Star families and support emergency housing placement initiatives for veterans living under area overpasses and wooded campsites.

A temporary homeless camp hidden in a wooded area highlights the ongoing regional need for emergency shelter programs funded by groups like Tampa Homeless Outreach.