Thanks For The Freedom Fund, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) certified, non profit organization incorporated in the State of Iowa.
Board of Directors
Thanks For The Freedom Fund, Inc. is operated by a board of directors. All board members are volunteers and receive no compensation for their service.
Bret Bartz, President and Founder
Bret is a veteran of the United States Air Force and also served in the 132nd Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard.
He joined the Air Force in 1981 and retired in 2005 with the rank of Master Sergeant.
Bret founded Thanks For The Freedom Fund in 2013 with the goal of
providing veterans with a personal memorial that they and their families can enjoy for years to come. Bret and his wife, NamSun, live in Pleasant Hill, Iowa.
Scott Bemis, Vice President
Scott's reverence for those that serve in the armed forces began with his grandfather, Robert H. Bemis, a decorated veteran of World War II.
Scott joined the board of directors at Thanks For The Freedom Fund shortly after its founding in 2013.
He serves on the board to say "thank you" to those that have served and sacrificed to protect the
freedom that many take for granted. Scott, his wife, Deb, and their two sons live on an acreage a few miles southeast of Norwalk, Iowa.
Volunteers
Kathy Koch Law
Kathy has donated many hours of legal expertise. She was instrumental in helping Thanks For The Freedom Fund acquire
501(c)(3) certification. Kathy has also been a great friend and supporter. We could not begin to thank her enough for all of her assistance.
For more information about Kathy, please view Kathy's professional profile.
Jason Barngrover
Jason is our official TFTFF photographer. Jason has donated many hours photographing our events. He has been present at all of our flag presentation ceremonies and is responsible for most of the photos that appear on our website.
Ethan Bemis
Ethan began volunteering for TFTFF in 2016 at the age of 12. Ethan has participated in all of our flag presentation ceremonies. His responsibilities include setting the flag pole and presenting the flag during the flag presentation ceremony.
Michelle Spear
We are very proud of the TFTFF logo that appears on our website, our t-shirts, and our baseball caps. Michelle is our graphic artist. She volunteered her time, expertise, and creative eye to give us a number of great options,
and ultimately, a fantastic logo.
Folks We Appreciate
CJ's Tree Service
CJ's Tree Service donated time, labor, and equiptment to remove a tree from the yard of a veteran. The tree was located in the exact location
where the veteran wanted us to install a flagpole. We received numerous quotes to do the work. Some were for more than $600. CJ's Tree Service donated everything. Find out more about them at
https://cjswoodchucks.com.
Heartland Flagpoles and Custom Flags
Heartland Flagpoles and Custom Flags has been the sole provider of the flag pole sets that we present to our veterans. We appreciate the quality of their products and the service that they provide. Find out more about them at
www.heartlandflags.com.
Outdoors Dan Young
A few years ago, Outdoors Dan Young, invited TFTFF founder, Bret Bartz, to be on his radio program to talk about the organization. Dan is a veteran and the father of a veteran. Dan follows our page on facebook and we appreciate his service and support of veterans.
Find out more about Outdoors Dan at www.outdoorsdan.com.
Quilts of Valor
Quilts of Valor is a wonderful organization that shares our commitment to honoring veterans. Learn more about Quilts of Valor at www.QOVF.org.