OUR STORY
Remembering Jeremy C. Heykoop
7/20/84 - 11/26/15
Our story started in tragedy. Upon losing a loved one to Veteran suicide in 2015, our founder felt the need to do something - to help others from ever feeling the way her and her family did. She gathered some close family and friends and together they planned an event to raise money and awareness to help fight Veteran suicide.
That first event, The Heykoop Veteran Memorial Car Show & Benefit raised just under $5,000, which was donated to an established Veteran charity based out of Nashville, Indiana. Upon realizing that the money they raised could do good in their own community, the idea came about to find a Michigan based charity that focused solely on Veteran suicide to donate to the following year.
When they discovered that there was not a charity that filled that need, our founder began contemplating creating a charity of her own. After much deliberation and prayer, our founder felt that this indeed was the path God wanted her to follow. And so, she set out to bring together a small group of people whom she trusted to assist her. In November of 2017 the first board of directors meeting was held and Lighthouse For Veterans was born.