H-E-B gifts 4,500 bouquets across Texas for Military Spouse Appreciation Day

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - H-E-B marked National Military Spouse Appreciation Day Friday by handing out 4,500 floral bouquets to military spouses across Texas.

H-E-B Partners handed out the bouquets at military bases and community events marking the national holiday first established by President Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Celebrated on the Friday before Mother's Day, Military Spouse Appreciation Day recognizes military spouses and the "meaningful impact they have on our military communities," says H-E-B.

H-E-B had been marking Military Spouse Appreciation Day for the past eight years with events serving thousands of military spouses. The events are one of many efforts associated with H-E-B's Operation Appreciation, a program the company says that honors and supports active duty service members, military veterans and their families year-round.

Additionally, H-E-B says it holds several events throughout the year to celebrate military spouses, support youth education initiatives, and honor holidays such as Independence Day, Veterans Day, and Memorial Day. 

Launched in 2013, Operation Appreciation is aimed at supporting, honoring, and providing employment opportunities to military service members and their families. Through the program, H-E-B says it has hired thousands of veterans and active-duty service members, including their family members. 

H-E-B’s annual donation campaign raises funds for the homes and other military-serving nonprofits, including the Military Child Education Coalition, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors and the United Service Organizations. The program has provided more than $10 million in support to dozens of military-based nonprofits in Texas as well as efforts that provide mortgage-free homes to severely wounded veterans.

The H-E-B Homes Built for Heroes program, another component of Operation Appreciation, has gifted 35 mortgage-free, fully furnished custom homes to severely wounded military veterans since 2013. H-E-B and the H-E-B Tournament of Champions will dedicate six homes in 2022, says the company.