Next fall, veterans receiving medical treatment in Gainesville will have a free place to stay.
At the Gainesville Fisher House, veterans, members of the military and their families will be able to stay for free when receiving treatment from a military medical center.
The Fisher House is currently in its planning and fundraising stages. It will be located next to the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center and across from Shands at UF on Archer Road.
"The Gainesville Fisher House will be a comfort home where military veterans and their families can stay for longer durations," said Patti Fabiani, executive director of the Gainesville Fisher House. There are 56 Fisher Houses nationwide.
The Malcom Randall VA Medical Center currently serves 50 counties that are home to about 120,000 veterans and military members, Fabiani said.
This Fisher House location would potentially have 20 fleets, which are rooms outfitted for families. Anywhere from 20 to 60 people could stay in the house at one time.
Fundraising goals need to be reached before the opening of the house. It will cost about $6 million to build, and the organization's goal is to raise $3 million, which will be matched by the Fisher House Foundation.
In an effort to help raise funds, the Fisher House will be hosting a 5K on Veterans Day.
Brandon Davis, the campus recruitment chair for the Fisher House, originally planned the 5K as a philanthropic event for the Agricultural Economics Club, part of the Food and Resource Economics Department at UF.
The 5K is open to all participants who register online at active.com.
If all goes well, the Gainesville Fisher House should be up and running by next fall, said Davis.
