Driven by Gratitude: Team Z Delivers More Than a Vehicle

Dear clients and friends,

On Monday, July 6th, just after celebrating Independence Day, Team Z had the distinct honor of giving a gift of freedom to a true American hero. Through the Zinzow Law Foundation, and in partnership with Tampa’s Wheels of Success, we gave a hand up to Barton—a 10-year U.S. Navy veteran—by providing him with a Kia Sportage SUV.

Barton protected our nation's freedoms for a decade. He spent the first year of his service stationed at a navy shipyard in the deep South, before transferring to a frigate and ultimately spending the majority of his time aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

We were deeply honored to present this vehicle to an absolute hero—a man who served our country on the razor’s edge of naval warfare as an E-4 Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels). For years, Barton stood on that wind-whipped, chaotic flight deck, managing the most explosive fluid network on earth. Day and night, he put his life on the line just inches away from screaming jet engines, lethal intake vortices, and the roaring blades of launching Seahawk helicopters to keep the carrier’s entire air wing fighting and flying. Whether he was working in the suffocating, toxic pump rooms deep beneath the steel decks or dragging high-pressure fuel lines through blinding rain and pitching seas, his reality was one where a single spark or a split-second oversight meant a catastrophic fireball.

Barton endured grueling 18-hour combat shifts, a severe back injury, and deafening isolation during crucial deployments across the Mediterranean and the Iraq War. He carried the immense emotional and physical weight of knowing that the lives of every pilot and aircrew launching into the dark depended entirely on his flawless execution and unwavering vigilance. Barton was a warrior who silently forged the pathways of American airpower through sheer dedication, giving his youth, his sweat, and his safety to protect our freedom. He survived an unforgiving environment where precision was his only armor, and no mission could launch without his vital work.

Yet, like many heroes, Barton’s toughest battle began when he returned to civilian life and had to rebuild everything from scratch. He had recently relocated to the Tampa Bay area for career advancement, but the crushing expenses of the move completely exhausted his savings. To provide for his loved ones, Barton took on a massive territory stretching all the way from Wesley Chapel down to Naples.

Without a car, his daily life became a grueling, stressful hurdle. Pushing through the persistent pain of his injury, he was forced to rely entirely on expensive Ubers, rental cars, and rides from coworkers just to get to work each morning. Every dollar spent on an Uber was a dollar taken away from his household. Yet, driven by the desire to build a better life for his family, his commitment never faltered. He stood just one step away from a major promotion that would change their lives—he was simply waiting on wheels. [1]

This past Monday, it was our distinct honor to finally serve Barton. Because of the continuous support of our clients and the dedication of Team Z, we were able to hand Barton the keys to his new SUV.

These wheels gave him a piece of freedom that his life was missing. More importantly, they gave him the means to secure his promotion and the peace of mind to better support and protect his family, just as he once protected all of us. This car was a small token of our boundless gratitude for his immense sacrifice, ensuring that this true American hero had the reliable transportation he so deeply deserved to navigate the open roads of the country he gave years of his life to defend.

We were incredibly proud to support those who served, and we were deeply grateful to all who support the Zinzow Law Foundation, Zinzow Law, and ZinDocs for making this life-changing moment possible.

With heartfelt gratitude,



Tara L. Zinzow

Executive Director

The Zinzow Law Foundation