Serving Our Willing Warrior Retreat Opens at Bull Run

Shirley and John Dominick celebrate the ribbon cutting of Bull Run Willing Warriors Retreat with dignitaries. L-R: Col. Chris Toner, Mayor David Leake, Sen. Richard Black, SOWW President Shirley Dominick, SOWW Vice President John Dominick, Gainesville Supervisor Pete Candland, Del. David Ramadan and Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson.

This Independence Day the community came together to celebrate veterans and the volunteers that helped make the Willing Warrior Retreat at Bull Run a reality.

The nonprofit Serving Our Willing Warriors (SOWW) opened its Bull Run Retreat for wounded veterans with a ribbon cutting, speeches, food and much fan fair, the afternoon of July 4th at the retreat located on Waterfall Drive in Haymarket.

Two years ago, Park Valley Church encouraged their congregation, including parishioners John and Shirley Dominick, to pursue a community project. The Dominicks along with their friends began providing Christmas presents to service members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital.

Their work with the military hospitals led them to believe a warrior retreat was necessary. They decided to raise money to open a retreat for injured, disabled and impaired soldiers who were returning from battle and make it a place for them and their families. To do so, they enlisting aid from many other community members, and the nonprofit Serving Our Willing Warriors was born.

Shirley and Dominick cut the ribbon after John's speech, thanking volunteers.

This summer, the Bull Run Retreat will start serving Willing Warriors who have already returned home. SOWW wants their feedback to see if the house and grounds are sufficiently wheel-chair accessible.

After the trial run, the retreat will serve soldiers from all over the nation as they are discharged from Walter Reed Hospital and ready to return home to their families. The retreat will serve as a safe, relaxing place to reconnect with family before service members dive back into their daily lives.

Such an ambitious dream could not be accomplished by one couple alone. Beginning with the church members, the dream spread through the wider community, amassing more volunteers and donors until hundreds of people were involved.

Saturday, those volunteers and donors came together to celebrate the fruit of their labor. The result was a large, fully decorated and fully stocked home on a scenic 37-acre retreat high in the Bull Run mountain located at the very end of western Prince William just a short distance from Fauquier and Loudoun.

Dominick was happy with such the large turnout they received.

Hundreds attend the opening of the Bull run retreat.

“It feels great. The ribbon cutting was absolutely amazing. Everywhere I look I see people who have been hands on,” he said.

For him and his wife the project has been life-changing.

“It’s great to have met so many great people over the last two years. We would not have met so many great people.”

The project also provided changes for those who gave of their time.

Ivan Lesefka, a 16-year-old Eagle Scout with Manassas troop 670, raised funds to erect the flag poles on the property and landscaped around them.

“I was trying to figure out a project and I was reading in the newspaper about Serving Our Willing Warriors, and I knew at that moment what I wanted to do, so I talked to Mr. Dominick,” Lesefka said.

The project ultimately brought him closer to his father, a 21-year veteran.

“It was greatly rewarding to have helped out here. It has really changed me. I think it has changed my family for the better.”

Jacqueline Meeks and Carole Gathright attend the opening of the Bull Run retreat.

However, the work is not over, and some volunteers are still planning ways to raise money for the retreat as Gainesville resident Carole Gathright explained.

“Shirley was speaking at the Methodist Church in Gainesville, so I volunteered a couple of times and put together a hospitality team of 20 ladies from Heritage Hunt,” Gathright said.

Now, she is planning a fashion show at Heritage Hunt to benefit the retreat. It will feature wounded warriors and veterans plus a few surprise models.

Guests of honor Col. Chris Toner, Commander, Warrior Transition Command, Brigadier Gen. David Wesley, USAF (retired) and Major Gen. Gregory Schumacher, USA (retired) attended the ribbon cutting and spoke at the event.

Local guests of honor included Virginia State Senator Richard Black (13th), State Del. David Ramadan (87th), Gainesville Supervisor Pete Candland, Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson and Haymarket Mayor David Leake and Pastor Barry White of Park Valley Church.

Those who spoke emphasized that the nation cannot forget its soldiers after they return home from battle. They also celebrated the community that came together to honor them.

Major General Gregory Schumacher speaks to the crowd during the opening ceremony.

Col. Toner called the retreat one of many “islands of excellence” that the federal government should connect and expand upon as a promise to veterans.

Gen. Wesley explained veterans ask for almost nothing, but in the rare times they do ask for something, it is often that their service be remembered and recognized for future generations.

Retired Army Major General Gregory Schumacher praised the communities of Haymarket, Prince William, Loudoun and Northern Virginia for coming together to make the retreat possible. He said it is great to thank service members, but more Americans should go beyond that to show their gratitude.

“We owe it to them,” he said.

Traditional Fourth of July food and drink was planned for after the ceremony; however, many dispersed as a heavy rain commenced. Others stayed to tour the house.

All of the fixtures, features and furniture belonging to the house were donated by local businesses, organizations or individuals. As service members visit the house, they will also receive gift certificates for meals and entertainment that have been donated as well.

Volunteers also showed their dedication that afternoon, not only helping people to tour the property but also by pushing several cars out of the muck when the rain had them marooned on the grass later that afternoon.

People who attended said they had a good time and they felt good to celebrate the 4th by truly honoring service members.

View Slideshow, Virtual Tour of the house.