Vets Helping Vets & First Responders:
What Does ‘Giving Back’ Look Like For You?
By Marta Rose-Thorpe
For years, Jimy Thorpe had felt the urge to give back. A U.S. Army Veteran who served during the Gulf War, Jimy had always held the highest regard for the men and women who serve our country and keep us safe. This group also includes First Responders – the men and women who keep our communities safe. In 2014, he created the tagline “Vets Helping Vets” – later elevated to “Vets Helping Vets & First Responders” – and decided to start giving what he had to give: AC units. Jimy owns A Superior Mechanical, a local business which he launched in 2002. “We are honored to give thanks to the men and women who put their lives on the line every day for the citizens of our community,” he says.
In the beginning, Jimy and his team decided to give away eight AC units per year. Veterans and First Responders were encouraged to apply online at ASuperiorMechanical.com; the Giveaway was open to all who have served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and all First Responders, including EMT/Medics, Police, Sheriffs and Fire Fighters. American Legion Post 392 in Panama City met and voted on all submissions each quarter, selecting one Veteran in need and one First Responder in need to be awarded the units.
In 2015, the Giveaway began taking the form of a quarterly appreciation lunch at Harley-Davidson of Panama City Beach. The first event hosted around 40 guests and several local businesses co-sponsored. The next lunch brought in a few more guests and sponsors, and the Vet Center and other veteran-related organizations joined in. As the word-of-mouth continued, the guest list grew. By 2017, the event had moved to Texas Roadhouse PCB and grew through the years to host around 380+ guests each time. In 2019, Pastor David Butler of Faith Assembly Church in Miramar Beach (AKA “The Rock & Roll Church”) invited Jimy to host a quarterly appreciation lunch there, to reach Veterans and First Responders in the Walton and Okaloosa areas. This lunch took place quarterly, for five years, during which Jimy gave away 12 AC units, including installation, per year. “I feel that giving back to Veterans and First Responders is like taking the time to help my father,” says Jimy, whose father served in the U.S. Marines. “It’s something that comes second nature; it’s instinctive and something that’s driven in me.”
The next Veterans & First Responders Appreciation Lunch takes place on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Niceville Community Center, 204 Partin Drive North, Niceville, FL 32578. The event will include a hot lunch catered by Swiftly Catered, a brief welcome from the sponsors and supporters, and the AC Giveaway. This event is supported and sponsored by the Niceville Community Center, Niceville High School (who will present the colors), United Community Bank, Blanken Management, and Beachworx CoWorking Spaces. Walton and Okaloosa County businesses are encouraged to sponsor; for details, contact Marta Thorpe at (850) 814-3822. To register to win an AC unit, visit ASuperiorMechanical.com and go to ABOUT US > HVAC GIVEAWAY.
Thorpe says he hopes his AC giveaways serve as an example to the community of how others can give back. “Let us be your template,” he shares. “For a long time, I felt the desire to somehow give back, and after talking with my wife about what this would look like, we realized we should give back what we have to give: AC systems. Any business – any person – can do the same and find their own way to give back.”
