Social Scene
Austinites honor former Westlake student at second annual Heroes Rise fundraiser
What: Second annual Heroes Rise fundraiser
The lowdown: Close to 200 Austinites gathered at a private residence on September 13 to honor the legacy of Westlake native and football standout Mark Fitzgibbons, a U.S. Army and Afghanistan veteran who passed away in 2012. During the event, guests raised more than $13,000 for national nonprofit, Heroes Project. Sponsors included YETI Coolers, Texas Disposal Systems, Covert Auto Group, Deep Eddy Vodka, Dolce Vida Tequila and Capitol Beverage.
"We host the annual Heroes Rise fundraiser not only in memory of Mark but also to serve all those who have served us," host Kathleen Seiders said. "PTS is a very serious consequence of combat. We donate the funds to Heroes Project to help the recovery of service members who struggle with PTS daily."