Berry Law is proud to announce Marine Corps Veteran Jacob Fry as the winner of our annual Reward a Veteran award. The Reward a Veteran program is designed to recognize a Veteran who has continued to give back to their community after service, and this year we received dozens of incredible nominations. Jacob Fry was ultimately selected from a pool of many outstanding community leaders and embodies the spirit of continued service by Veterans.
Every Veterans day, the team at Berry Law recognizes a local Veteran who continues to serve the community out of uniform. The winner is given a $500 cash award to acknowledge their contributions and to help them achieve their future goals, along with very important bragging rights within the Veteran community. This year’s winner, Jacob Fry, exemplifies everything the Reward a Veteran award stands for.
Fry is a key part of the Veteran community in Lincoln and is the Nebraska Director of the Irreverent Warriors program. Irreverent Warriors is a national nonprofit that uses humor and camaraderie to improve mental health and prevent Veteran suicide. Over the past 5 years, Fry’s passion for the Veteran community has been undeniable while serving in leadership roles within both Irreverent Warriors and the Marine Corps League.
Over the past year under Fry’s leadership, the Nebraska Irreverent Warriors team has grown in membership and, in turn, impacted more Veterans. He selflessly sacrifices his personal time to ensure all the events put on by Irreverent Warriors help further the mission of the organization.
Fry was also a member of the University of Nebraska Veteran group, a Sr. Vice Commandant for the Marine Corps League Cornhusker Detachment, and was instrumental in putting together a Veteran reunion in Omaha which included over 300 Marines—which he funded with his own money.
The USMC Veteran is also in the process of creating a “War Council” that will be a meeting conduit and line of communication for all of the Veteran nonprofits in Nebraska.
To receive the Reward a Veteran award, a Veteran must first be nominated by a member of the community. The nominator provides relevant information about why the Veteran should receive the award, including community service and personal character.
A group of finalists is selected by Berry Law based on the submissions. This year, we let the community select the winner by having an open voting process where members of the community voted for the finalist they believed was most deserving. Fry was voted as the winner over fellow Veterans Ron Bouwens (Army), Kyle Cartwright (National Guard), Keith Knoop (National Guard), and Larry Nelson (Army).
“Our goal for the Reward a Veteran program is to recognize Veterans in our community who believe that their duty to their country extends beyond the military. Jacob is a perfect example of someone who treats service as a lifelong pledge, and it has been a pleasure working with him personally and through the Irreverent Warriors program,” Berry Law CEO and Army Veteran John S. Berry, , stated. “It is an honor to be part of recognizing Jake for his hard work dedicated to uplifting the Veteran community.”
From the team at Berry Law, we want to thank all Veterans who have continued to serve out of uniform, including the 2020 Reward a Veteran award winner, Jacob Fry. It is an honor to represent Veterans in their legal battles, and a pleasure recognizing those who went above and beyond for their communities.
