Italian-American Club of Hilton Head to give retired Marine a new car

The Italian-American Club of Hilton Head will give away a new Dodge Journey to Corporal Matthew Ferguson, a retired Marine who served in Afghanistan.

The car will presented to Ferguson at 1:15 pm on Sept. 17 at the main stage of the Italian Heritage Festival at the Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Dr, Hilton Head Island, according to a news release from the club.

Ferguson, 26, served more than 6 years in Afghanistan as a combat engineer in support of Second Battalion, 9th Marines and works at Daniel Defense in Ridgeland.

Thanks to the efforts of Combat Casualty Assistance Visiting Nurse Kim Bradley, of the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, and Major Mark Holyfield, district support coordinator for the region who works with injured Marine veterans, Ferguson and his son have new transportation.

"I'm really grateful that there are people out there like the Paletta's and the IACHH who think of us," Ferguson said. "I can visit my family now in Illinois with my son, with a reliable vehicle to take us there."

The vehicle was donated by island residents residents George and Barbara Paletta, the release said.

This story was originally published September 13, 2016 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Italian-American Club of Hilton Head to give retired Marine a new car."