ERLANGER, Ky. – DAV (Disabled American Veterans) has announced that its Arthur H. and Mary E. Wilson Top Venture Impacting Veterans Award will go to Marine veteran Carrie Roeger, co-founder of Semper Fi Bar & Grille in Woodstock, Georgia. The award, which included a $10,000 prize, will be formally presented to Roeger during the 2023 DAV and Auxiliary National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Aug. 7.

Roeger, a member of DAV Chapter 6 in Marietta, Georgia, was selected from participants of the Veteran Entrepreneurship Success Summit in Washington, D.C., held in June 2022. The summit is hosted by Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans & Military Families.

Roeger and her husband, fellow Marine veteran Ralph Roeger, opened Semper Fi Bar & Grille in 2015. Filled with walls of military memorabilia and photos donated by locals, their restaurant has fostered an atmosphere where veterans feel comfortable sharing their stories of service with friends and family.

“What Carrie and her husband have created is more than just a successful business,” said DAV National Commander Joe Parsetich. “They have created a community where veterans can swap stories, meet like-minded people and find support. In addition to contributing to their local economy, Roeger and her husband are enriching lives, empowering others and creating new opportunities.”

Carrie Roeger said the $10,000 prize that comes with the award was the catalyst she and her husband needed to take steps toward establishing their first franchise location, Rally Point Grille, which recently opened in Evans, Georgia. Their goal with franchising is to provide veterans with a path to restaurant ownership, even if they don’t have the financial resources or industry knowledge.

“When we get to the future and look back, we’ll see that the grant from DAV was instrumental in the growth and expansion of our company,” Carrie Roeger said.

 

About DAV
DAV empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. It is dedicated to a single purpose: keeping our promise to America’s veterans. DAV does this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them, fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill, providing employment resources to veterans and their families, and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. DAV, a nonprofit organization with more than 1 million members, was founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932.