Freedom Mortgage Announces Winner of the 2021 Celebrate Freedom Award

Boca Raton, FL – July 6, 2021 – Freedom Mortgage, one of the largest full-service mortgage companies and the top VA and top FHA (government-insured) lender in the U.S., has named Brent Evanoff of Nebraska this year's winner of its Celebrate Freedom Award. Evanoff was officially recognized on July 4th at the Wawa Welcome America Festival in Philadelphia, where the Celebration of Freedom ceremony was held in front of Independence Hall. In addition to a trip for two to the festival, Evanoff received a check for $10,000 from Freedom Mortgage.

Evanoff, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) at the Veterans Administration, was selected from nearly 1,000 entries for the Celebrate Freedom Award presented by Freedom Mortgage. A U.S. Army veteran, Evanoff also served as a firefighter and paramedic for the city of Omaha for 13 years before joining the VA. His devotion to service inspired three of his children to serve in the U.S. military.

"I'm surprised and honored to be recognized by Freedom Mortgage with this award among so many well deserving applicants," said Evanoff. "I believe service to the nation can take place at any one time in a person's life or throughout their lives. It's never too late to serve. I have chosen to serve the nation on multiple occasions because of a deep sense of duty."

The 2021 Celebrate Freedom Award presented by Freedom Mortgage contest was open to all service members, veterans, and, for the first time, first responders and healthcare workers. Entrants submitted essays answering the question, "What does serving the nation mean to you?"

Stanley C. Middleman, Freedom Mortgage founder and CEO, said, "We had many candidates share their heartfelt stories in our Celebrate Freedom Award contest this year. Our nation has faced so many challenges over the past year due to the pandemic. It's important that we recognize the sacrifices people who chose to serve our country made and how they rose to these challenges. These heroes truly know what it means to serve a cause greater than themselves. We want to congratulate Brent for being this year's award recipient and thank him and all who applied for their service to our nation."

For the first 600 award submissions, Freedom Mortgage made a $5 donation to Feeding America®, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization with a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs. A total of $3,000 was donated, which helps provide at least 30,000 meals to people facing hunger.

Through Team Freedom Cares, the company's employee engagement and philanthropic program, Freedom Mortgage provides assistance to many charities, including groups that support military service members, veterans, and their families. Last year, the company and its employees donated over $2.6 million to support several organizations, including Feeding America®, Habitat for Humanity, MBA Opens Doors Foundation, The Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, among others.

For more information on Freedom Mortgage's philanthropic efforts, visit www.freedommortgage.com/community.

About Freedom Mortgage Corporation

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, Freedom Mortgage is a full-service mortgage company that provides mortgage loans through retail, wholesale, and correspondent channels. One of the nation's largest loan originators and servicers, the company is licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Freedom Mortgage is the #1 VA and #1 FHA (government-insured) lender in the U.S. (Inside Mortgage Finance, 2020) and one of the mortgage industry's largest philanthropic supporters of the USO of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. The company is also renowned for its vibrant work environment where its team members can thrive. The company's mission is to foster homeownership for all consumers across America. For more information, please visit FreedomMortgage.com.