2025 YIR: Marcus & Blank Honored for Work with Veterans

Nearly 600 people crowded into the Oceans Ballroom of the Georgia Aquarium for the inaugural gala dinner in support of the Avalon Action Alliance. The Alliance, which was founded six years ago, seeks to provide personal care and support services to America’s veterans and first responders. It was an important philanthropic initiative of Bernie Marcus, who co-founded The Home Depot.

He contributed more than $250 million in support of programs to aid veterans. Those who filled the many tables in the 23,000-square-foot ballroom he built at the aquarium came as much to honor the Marcus legacy as they did to support this program, which was one of his main concerns in the final years of his long life. Marcus died early in November 2024 at the age of 95.

Marcus’ words were among the first that the attendees to the event saw when they opened their program that evening.

“I want better lives for those who have sacrificed themselves for us in our nation’s great military. There can’t be too many places or too much care for those heroes to find better mental and physical care.”

In attendance at the Alliance gala were members of his family, personal friends, leaders of the Marcus Foundation, veterans who have benefitted from the program, and the president and CEO and chairman of the board of The Home Depot, which has grown into an organization of 475,000 employees.

But it was left to the co-founder of company, Arthur Blank, to pay the deepest words of tribute to a man he described as a brother and an inspiration for the philanthropy of his own family foundation, which now tops $1.3 billion in gifts. His foundation was one of the evening’s main sponsors and he was presented with the organization’s Legacy of Service Award.

“I know Bernie is proud of this work,” Blank said, in accepting the award, “and while he is not physically here with me or with us tonight, he is forever with me, in my heart, and carried in my spirit. His presence is reflected in my commitment to serving others, and I am humbled to stand here tonight on his behalf and to continue to carry on this brotherhood further.”