The first step was finding the right family. That was Fred Galvin’s job.
Galvin, a retired Marine Corps Major and Gold Star family coordinator, began to conduct research on how to select a family that would benefit the most from a $50,000 scholarship from the University of Missouri- Kansas City (UMKC).
“The Kansas City Chiefs had mentioned really wanting to do something very unique and special for the military,” Galvin said. “They wanted this to be a really special moment and they wanted to also have it be a surprise.”
He set off looking for the perfect Gold Star Family, or a family that has lost a service member to combat operations or training exercises.