Esprit de Corps Foundation

Veteran-Led  •  Chicago-Based  •  501(c)(3)

Esprit de corps — the shared spirit, pride, and bond that holds a unit together. That feeling should not disappear when the uniform comes off.

Founded in January 2025 by U.S. Army veteran Damian Garcia (President) and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Rogelio Villa (Vice President), Esprit de Corps Foundation builds community for veterans, service members, military families, dependents, and student veterans in Chicago through fitness, wellness, advocacy, and leadership.

We came home and felt the gap. The team was gone. The routine was gone. The sense of belonging that made everything make sense — gone. So we built something to bring it back. Not just for us, but for every veteran, military spouse, and student veteran who has ever felt that silence.

What We Do

Our flagship event, the annual MURPH Festival, brings together hundreds every Memorial Day weekend for a full day of fitness, live music, food, veteran resources, and remembrance honoring those who gave everything in service.

We partner with organizations like Chicago Fire FC and the University of Illinois Chicago to create events that put veterans back in the center of their communities — not on the sidelines.

Monthly gatherings, fitness events, resource connections, and community partnerships keep the momentum going year-round. This is not a once-a-year thing. This is a movement.

Where We Are Going

Everything we do is building toward one goal: opening Chicago's first Veteran Recreation and Resource Center. A public fitness and community space open to the entire neighborhood, with a private USO-style lounge inside exclusively for veterans and military families.

A place to train. A place to decompress. A place to find employment support, education guidance, benefits assistance, wellness services, and peer connection — all under one roof, with people who understand.

Chicago is just the beginning. Our vision is a center in every state — a nationwide network so no veteran has to figure it out alone, no matter where they land after service.

How You Help

Every donation, ticket, and sponsorship goes directly toward our events, year-round programming, and building the Esprit Center. There is no corporate overhead. No middleman. This is a grassroots mission run by veterans who put every dollar to work.

When you give here, you are not just writing a check. You are helping build a space that will serve veterans and families for generations.

BUILT BY VETERANS.

DRIVEN BY COMMUNITY.