Operation Forward to give Rockwall County veteran year-long support package

One Rockwall County veteran will leave Rockwall Ford with more than a set of keys on May 23. Operation Forward plans to hand over a donated vehicle and a year-long support package designed to steady a veteran and that veteran’s family for the next 12 months.

The celebration is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Rockwall Ford, 990 E Interstate 30 in Rockwall. Operation Forward says the veteran will be selected through a nomination process led by local community leaders, making the giveaway less of a prize drawing than a community-backed decision about who needs help most.

Operation Forward describes the effort as a “life reset” rather than a one-time handout. Along with the vehicle donated by Group 1 Rockwall Ford, the package is expected to include health and wellness services, fitness memberships, chiropractic care, home services, grooming support, financial planning, life coaching, and help with auto insurance or fuel. The organization says the goal is to restore stability, dignity, confidence, and well-being for one veteran each year.

That approach matters in Rockwall County, where the U.S. Census Bureau estimates about 6,850 veterans live alongside a population of 140,738 as of July 1, 2025. In a county that has grown quickly, veteran support can be easy to overlook even as the need remains close to home.

Operation Forward was founded by Stavros Kaplaneris and launched in Rockwall in January 2026 as an annual legacy program. The organization has also been seeking additional sponsors, service providers, and community partners to deepen the program’s reach beyond the single giveaway.

Nominations for the inaugural veteran were opened Jan. 12 and ran through March 1, with selection expected by March 14. The timeline reflects how the program is built around local participation, not just a stage event. Community leaders identify the recipient, a Rockwall dealership provides the vehicle, and local sponsors add layers of practical support meant to carry the family through the year.

For Rockwall County, the May 23 event turns a parking lot at Rockwall Ford into a small but pointed response to a larger issue: how a fast-growing county recognizes the people who served it, and whether that recognition comes with lasting help or only a brief round of applause.