Tickets Available for Purchase
of successfully helping many Veterans and their families overcome challenges they face when trying to return to civilian life is a reason to celebrate!
Please join us at the celebrated Union League of Philadelphia on Friday, October 17, 2025 to commemorate our 10th Anniversary!
As this is a very special event, we wanted to hold it in a very special location.
The Union League of Philadelphia is
Proudly Voted #1 City Club in the Country 2012 • 2014 • 2016 • 2018 • 2020 • 2022 • 2024
Founded in 1862 as a patriotic society to support the Union and the policies of President Abraham Lincoln, The Union League of Philadelphia laid the philosophical foundation of other Union Leagues across a nation torn by civil war. The League has hosted U.S. presidents, heads of state, industrialists, entertainers and dignitaries from around the globe and has proudly supported the American military in each conflict since the Civil War. The Union League continues to be driven by its founding motto, Amor Patriae Ducit or Love of Country Leads.
Hotel rooms available at Union League Club: contact Front Desk: 215.587.5570 for The Patriot Fund Room Block or email at: [email protected].
Event Timeline
5:00 p.m. Registration
5:30 p.m. Cocktail Hour
6:30 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. Keynote Speaker and other VIP Speakers
8:00 p.m. Entertainment by Don't Call Me Francis
Do you want to purchase a sponsorship, but prefer to pay for it via a payment method other than credit card, such as check, stock transfer, DAF fund, etc.?
Please reach out to us via email at [email protected] and we would be happy to send an invoice, provide instructions for payment and help get you registered.
Checks can be mailed to our address at:
The Patriot Fund, Inc.
P.O. Box 1818, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054
mailto:[email protected]
All payments must be received by September 1, 2025
Honoring..
Our 2025 Patriot of The Year
Greater Philadelphia Region
Chris Diaz
Chris Díaz is a respected executive who excels at leadership and entrepreneurship. He has been recognized throughout his career for his ability to transform ideas into action. Chris served as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Navy from June of 2022 to January 2025. In this role, he was responsible for leading the Department of the Navy to achieve the Secretary's strategic priorities-working in close partnership with senior executives across the Department of Defense, throughout the federal government, Congress, academia, industry and the media.
Prior to joining the Department of Defense, Chris served as the Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Chief of Staff and White House Liaison where he was responsible for managing senior departmental personnel actions, supporting governance oversight and policy development and implementation.
Chris is a Veteran of the United States Navy having served from 2007 to 2012 as an Aviation Boatswain's Mate and, then, as a Fleet Marine Corps Hospital Corpsman. He saw duty aboard the USS Harry S. Truman and, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, deployed with the 6th Marines to Marjah in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan.
After leaving the Navy, Chris graduated magna cum laude from Drexel University in 2015 with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Psychology. His research and clinical focus were in military and performance psychology. At Drexel, Chris joined other Veterans to revitalize the school's Veterans' group, gaining national recognition from Student Veterans of America (SVA). Additionally, Chris was the recipient of the prestigious Pat Tillman Scholarship, awarded to Veterans and Veteran family members with a proven track record of dedication and perseverance and a commitment to strengthening communities at home and around the world.
Chris once said, "I want to change the world through individual relationships." To that end, he is a published author, dynamic speaker, and Veteran advocate. He was the 2016 founder and former executive director of the Veteran-led Action Tank-a Philadelphia-based nonprofit leveraging Veterans' experience, leadership, and relationships with service-minded citizens to tackle challenges like the opioid crisis, gun violence, and food insecurity. For these and other initiatives, Mr. Diaz gained national recognition. He received the 2018 South by Southwest (SXSW) Community Service Award, and, in 2019, the Aspen Ideas Fellowship for his work, accomplishments, and impact in the community. Mr. Diaz has served on numerous boards in Philadelphia, helping shape the region's future.
Chris Diaz lives his life to remember and honor the sacrifice of fellow Veterans and strives to be the best version of himself. He holds a third-degree black belt in the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is continually seeking experiences that force him to grow.
Our Opening Speaker
Vann Morris
Evangelo "Vann" Morris is a U.S. Navy retired Surface Warfare Officer and Afghanistan deployed Combat Veteran who has traveled to 45 countries and is on a mission to Heal America. His wife (Rita) and three sons are all proud U.S. Veterans. In 2001, Vann and his team seized 14 tons of pure cocaine during a Colombian drug raid - the largest drug bust in U.S. maritime history.
Vann is a former nuclear powered ballistic missile Submariner, with an MBA from the Naval Postgraduate School, in Monterey, CA. and a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology from the University of Memphis. His last two tours of duty are the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and the United States Special Operations Command in Tampa, FL. Parallel with his military career, Vann has been public speaking for 20 years to honor all those who serve our great nation and to teach our children the value of Freedom.
Our Keynote Speaker
Mark Greene
Lieutenant (Ret.) Mark Greene is a former member of Naval Special Warfare, best known as the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams. He graduated with honors from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Training as part of Class 212 in 1997. Upon completing training, Mark was assigned to SEAL Team FIVE in San Diego, where he deployed twice to the Pacific Theater, conducting Special Operations including missions following the events of September 11.
In 2001, Mark graduated from the Naval Special Warfare Sniper School and went on to execute specialized sniper missions. Following his deployments, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from Excelsior College. In January 2004, he achieved a significant milestone by earning a commission as a Navy SEAL Officer. He was then assigned to SEAL Team EIGHT as an Assistant Officer in Charge, deploying to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he conducted sniper missions across the region.
After a successful deployment, Mark was assigned to Special Boat Team TWENTY as the Officer in Charge of a Maritime Craft Aerial Delivery Team (MCADS), deploying again to the Pacific Theater in support of other government agencies conducting special operations. He later pursued higher education, earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with honors from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2008, where he was also recognized with an Outstanding Thesis Award.
Following his graduate studies, Mark returned to SEAL Team EIGHT as Officer in Charge, leading his team on deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, where they conducted continuous operations over a six-month period. After nearly two decades of service, Mark retired from Naval Special Warfare Group FOUR in 2016.
Post-military, Mark transitioned to a career in higher education, joining the President's Staff at the University of Southern California (USC). There, he played a pivotal role in supporting Veterans and their families, helping them navigate the challenges of reintegration into civilian life. In 2020, he furthered his education by earning a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from USC.
Today, Mark serves as a Senior Analyst in Corporate Intelligence and Security at Dominion Energy (Virginia). He is also the bestselling author of UNSEALED: A Navy SEAL's Guide to Mastering Life's Transitions.
Our Entertainment!
The Don't Call Me Francis Band is a nine-member, multi-instrumental ensemble, capable of performing every style of music, both past and present. "DCMF" is one of the most requested bands in the Philadelphia tri-state area and beyond. "DCMF" is more than just a cover band. With over 25 years of experience in the industry and a heavy portion of stage showmanship, their sole purpose is to make the audience get out of their seats and dance along with songs that have dominated the charts for years. The band generates this amazing and explosive energy to the audience from the beginning of the night to the very end. The band is composed of multi-talented musicians including long-standing members Billy Garrett and Randy Chick. Now featuring, the late Francis Orsini's daughter, Adriana Orsini. Several individuals in the band are front people which has made them a staple in the music industry,
The Don't Call Me Francis Band had the pleasure of playing with members of The Beach Boys, Max Weinberg, Motley Crue's Vince Neil, and Latin pop star Marc Anthony. Many celebrities and cast members of The Sopranos and The Apprentice have made appearances at the Trump Marina, now the Golden Nugget.
For 15 consecutive years, the Don't Call Me Francis Band was voted the Best Band in South Jersey and the Delaware Valley, by the Courier Posts' Reader's Choice Awards, and still the #1 Band in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the surrounding regions. Throughout the years, local newspapers have written many news clips and articles about the band and their performances.
Where do the funds we raise go?
We grant funds to our Operational Partners who are working directly with Veterans and their families to help them overcome challenges they face with their return to civilian life. These non profit organizations go through an extensive 12 step due diligence process to ensure that 100% of the funds we provide will be used to provide necessary treatment and assistance to our military veterans. This way, we can impact so many different types of Veteran issues rather than just one focus area.
See below for our impact this past year.
