Bill Foley sees military charity grow, support families
Tricia English had to create “a whole new future” for herself and her family when her husband, U.S. Army Capt. Shawn English, was killed in 2006 in Iraq.
The military was their life. It told them where to live, where to go. They received an outpouring of love, but after Shawn was buried, it was up to English, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, to pick up the pieces.
Years later, the Folded Flag Foundation stepped in to help. The organization, chaired by Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, provides educational scholarships and support grants to the spouses and children of U.S. military and government personnel who died in the line of duty.
English’s three sons received aid from the charity, which held a gala Thursday in New York to honor those who joined the military after Sept. 11, 2001. Her youngest, Nathan, is a freshman at Virginia Military Institute, and she credits the Folded Flag Foundation for setting him on his path.
It allowed him to attend Montgomery Bell Academy, a private school in Nashville that helped him push his limits and find “the perfect opportunity for him” at VMI.
“It actually changed the trajectory of his life,” English said. “And that’s not being dramatic.”
Foley, a member of the U.S. Military Academy’s class of 1967, first had the idea of what would become the Folded Flag Foundation in the early 2000s. He thought of it as a way to honor his fellow classmates. Many left for Vietnam soon after graduating. About thirty didn’t come back.
Foley, who said the help for surviving spouses at the time was “pretty depressing,” wanted to help current families persevere after the death of a loved one. It finally got off the ground in 2014 after he told his idea to West Point classmate Fred Schremp, now the vice chairman.
“It was just something we wanted to do to right the situation,” Foley said. “Our country really hasn’t taken care of our fallen heroes like they should.”
One of the people the charity has since helped is Henderson resident Babette Kellner. Her husband, Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Kellner of the U.S. Navy, died from leukemia in 2014.
The Folded Flag Foundation found Kellner and got her to apply for a scholarship. Her family — she is raising son Nathan, a high school freshman, and daughter Bri, a fourth grader — was accepted. The aid proved instrumental when she was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago, allowing her to focus on her health instead of stressing about finances.
“Oftentimes, we’re forgotten,” said Kellner, who added that she is now doing preventative treatments to remain cancer free. “They did not forget us.”
The help Kellner received is part of the nearly $10 million in grants the Folded Flag Foundation has given out since its inception, according to the organization in March. That money has paid for kindergarten, graduate school and everything in between.
The amount of aid given out also continues to increase. The charity said in August it has awarded more than $3.25 million in educational scholarships to 750 recipients for the 2022-23 school year.
The Folded Flag Foundation hopes to continue growing. Foley said one of the organization’s goals is to start doing TV advertisements to bring more awareness and donations. He said he pays for the charity’s administrative costs, allowing every gift to go directly to grants.
“I’m proud of it,” Foley said. “I’m proud of what we’ve done.”
What stands out to English, who spoke at the Folded Flag Foundation’s gala Thursday, is how personal the charity is. It sought out her and Kellner. They looked at her family’s situation and needs before deciding an amount. They even helped form connections that have provided support for her and her sons.
English said she was “no longer part” of a club in the military after her husband died. The Folded Flag Foundation provided her with a new one.
“They have really become a community for us,” English said. “They really helped fill a huge gap of community for families like ours.”
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
