A U.S. Navy veteran, his wife and their two daughters got a bright holiday surprise this last month! On Tuesday, Nov. 28, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) “elves” went to work decorating the family’s home for the holidays with thousands of LED lights, solar-powered decorations and other energy-efficient décor. An annual tradition, this celebration marks the 16th consecutive year of FPL’s holiday program, which gives back to local heroes for their incredible commitment to the nation and their community.
Marcelo Centaure is a retired Naval Officer who served 33 years and is a veteran of the recent conflicts in the Middle East. In the service, Marcelo was a corpsman with the Marines for several years before coming home to Florida to get a nursing degree and his commission. The FPL Christmas extravaganza came as a complete surprise to Marcelo and his daughters (his wife was in on it). The Centaure family was also presented with gifts in honor of Marcelo’s service and commitment to the country. “I was stunned and overwhelmed with emotion at being suprised with having our home decorated for the holidays,” Marcelo told PCB Life. “It means so much to me to have my military service and our sacrifice recognized. I would like to thank Florida Power and Light and their volunteers for this gift on our first Christmas in PCB and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10555 for nominating us.”
Marcelo and his wife, Heather, now have two daughters at home, ages 16 and 13. Marcelo’s family has coordinated with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10555 to make this special surprise possible. “Having been previously stationed in Pensacola for 13 years, we always knew that we would retire to Florida’s Gulf Coast,” said Marcelo. This act of kindness has reenforced that we made the best choice in choosing to make PCB our forever home.”
