Wounded Veteran Says 'I Do' at Donated $50K Wedding

When Army veteran Jacob Leach and Brittany Polinsky said their recent “I do’s,” they did so at an Odessa farm both had visited as children.

That venue, Old McMicky’s Farm, also helped sponsor the $50,000 wedding, including the dress, rings, entertainment, cake and more. The package resulted from the farm’s “Mission I Do” giveaway that was designed to give wounded veterans a chance to realize their wedding day dreams.

Leach is an Army veteran who served 15 months in Iraq. In 2006, he was on watch when a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) struck the building he was assigned to guard. Leach fell two stories after the explosion. He now suffers from traumatic brain disorder and PTSD. He received a Combat Action Badge for his service.

Earlier this year, Leach became an intern for The Wounded Warrior Project, a media release about the wedding stated. Although considered 100 percent disabled by the Veterans Administration, Leach is heading back to school and hopes to launch a new career.

Leach and Polinsky both grew up in the Tampa Bay area and visited the lakefront farm as children. They learned they had been chosen as the first-ever “Mission I Do” recipients on Sept. 5. Their wedding took place on Nov. 16 with 100 guests in attendance.

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While Old McMicky’s launched “Mission I Do,” support from local businesses helped the contest grow, organizers say. Local businesses, such as Blue Skies Events, came forward and ultimately ended up doubling the original $25,000 value of the package to $50,000, farm officials say.

“For myself personally and for Old McMicky’s Farm, I want to express my sincerest thanks, gratitude, and appreciation to all of the individuals, vendors and companies for their incredibly generous contributions of both services and goods and their time for providing an amazing wedding for wounded veteran Jacob Leach and his bride Brittany,” wrote Old McMicky’s Ralph Zuckerman on the farm’s Facebook page. “Your contribution and services were all top quality and the wedding was absolutely beautiful and flawless.”

The Leach-Polinsky wedding was such a success, Old McMicky’s has announced plans to host another Mission I Do giveaway. The lucky couple will be wed on the farm in February 2015. Another giveaway is also planned for next year.

To learn more about the 40-acre farm, visit it online.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Old McMicky’s Farm and Darin Crofton Photography