SDIA SPONSORS WOUNDED VETS IN SWEDISH RACE
“Ten Island Race” Tests Veterans Mettle in Running, Kayaking and Swimming. Imagine running through the picturesque scenery of Sweden’s Gothenburg island chain (or archipelago), kayaking or swimming from island to island. Sounds like a dream adventure vacation, and for two USMC Combat Wounded Veterans, the “Ten Island Race” on August 16th, 2014, was an adventure race like no other. Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is proud to have sponsored these warriors, Cpl. Nicholas Perales and Cpl. Sebastian Gallegos, for the race. The Ten Island Race (TIR) is a unique multi-sport event; it combines running, kayaking and swimming over and between ten islands of the Ockero municipality in the northern Gothenburg archipelago in Sweden. Teams of two moved as quickly as possible along the route to the highest point on all ten islands, traversing a total distance of 29 miles; teams ran 16 miles, kayaked 11 miles and swam just over one mile. This TIR was a test between two Swedish veteran teams...
2014 Patriot Day Events
Join us on Sept 13th, 2014, in honoring the daily service and sacrifice made by so many of our nations Sheep Dogs. Show your support for our military, law enforcement, fire & rescue, and EMS personnel. Spend the day with your family learning more about the men and women protecting us on a daily basis, and use this as an opportunity to say Thank You for their service. Patriot Day is free and open to the general public. Any proceeds raised during Patriot Day via concessions sales, and/or specific fundraising events like the Patriot Day Poker Run and PFT, will be used to support Sheep Dogs in Need during the holiday season. Please follow SDIA this Fall as we provide Thanksgiving Meals and Christmas gifts to military and first responder families in need. 2014 Patriot Day Details Date & Time: Saturday, September 13th, 2014, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM LOCATIONS: (Our national Patriot Day event will be held in Bentonville, AR, but many of our other...
Pilger, Nebraska – Disaster Relief Efforts
Our disaster relief efforts in Pilger, Nebraska have officially come to an end. As always, seeing the devastation firsthand is tough, especially when you see people struggling with the loss, but we take pride in the fact that we were able to help, wherever possible. The people of Pilger, and the surrounding area, were extremely generous in their support of the disaster relief effort, and of organizations like SDIA that were helping with the recovery process. In all, SDIA was able to deliver a truck load of bottled water and nonperishable food, tarp roofs and cover windows on multiple salvageable homes, and assist with general cleanup. As with all SDIA disaster relief efforts, we will continue to learn from our experiences in places like Pilger, NE, enhancing our support capabilities for future efforts. A BIG Thank You to the members and supporters of SDIA that helped with this disaster relief mission. For additional images of our efforts, please see https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.709756732394235.1073741846.118696028166978&type=1
2014 SDIA Heroes WOD
(Contributing story and images by Samantha Baker of NWAonline.com) Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) hosted the 2014 Heroes WOD (workout of the day) at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, AR on June 7th. The competition was a Crossfit-based workout consisting of three stations where competitors could do the workout “RX,” as prescribed, or scaled: 1st Station â 21-15-9 reps Overhead squats KB swing Box jumps (M24″/W20″) Run 800m 2nd Station â 15-10-5 reps Sand bag squat clean Deadlifts Walking lunges w/plate overhead (M45#/W25#) (2x50m) Run 800m 3rd Station – 21-15-9 reps Slamball sit ups (M25#/W20#) Hanging power snatch Partner fireman carry (2x50m) The 1st Annual Heroes WOD also featured retired Marine Cpl. Nick Perales. Nick was injured in Feb. of 2011 when he stepped on an IED while serving in Afghanistan. He suffered several wounds, shattering his hand, hip, ankle and an amputation to the lower portion of his right leg. It was truly amazing to see Nick participating in this WOD! Such an inspiration to everyone in attendance! Nick is also a proud member of SDIA and...
Spartan Race – Austin, TX 2014
Our most recent adventure race, the Super Spartan Race (www.SpartanRace.com) near Austin, TX, was rewarding as always for those willing to meet the challenge! SDIA had members from Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas participate in this Spartan adventure. During the race SDIA honored the service and sacrifice of Drew Allen, Nick Perales, and Sebastian Gallegos. Three of the finest warriors you will ever meet, and all three were obviously brave enough to to join our SDIA Spartan Team for this race. SDIA participates in, and honors specific deserving Sheep Dogs, at several Spartan and other adventure races throughout the year. If you would like to join us for a future race, or know of a Sheep Dog in Need that could use some extra motivation, please contact us at info@sheepdogia.org. A special Thank You to Grubs Bar & Grille of Fayetteville, AR (http://www.grubsbargrille.com) for being a key SDIA sponsor for this race. Sheep Dogs in Need are recognized as combat wounded vets,...
Central Arkansas Disaster Relief Efforts
May 29th, 2014 Dear SDIA Supporters: On behalf of Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA), the courageous Sheep Dogs we proudly serve, and all those affected by the recent tornadoes in central Arkansas, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for your generous donations and support during our disaster relief efforts in Mayflower and Vilonia, Arkansas. Immediately following the storms, SDIA deployed disaster relief teams to Central Arkansas to aid with tree and debris removal, bottled water & basic supply distribution, covering damaged roofs…whatever we could do to help. This “impact assistance” is funded solely by the generosity of people like you and our corporate sponsors. SDIA receives no federal or local government backing, so every dollar we receive holds tremendous power and directly affects how many people we are able to help during the year. During our missions to Central Arkansas, more than 2,000 volunteer hours were logged, 1,000 gallons of bottled water delivered, seven chainsaw teams deployed, and tarps, roofing supplies,...
SDIA Disaster Relief Teams in Central Arkansas
Devastating tornadoes have struck once again. SDIA members and volunteers are working hard to support the needs of families in the central Arkansas region devastated by yesterdays storms. Currently SDIA Disaster Relief teams and members from Little Rock, NWArk, and other surrounding states are on the ground in Mayflower and Livonia, AR. We will update you on our efforts as we continue to asses the damage. We will provide updates via www.facebook.com/SheepDogIA as our teams continue their mission. We are not currently collecting donated items, not until additional needs are assessed. In the meantime, if you would like to make a donation to help with our disaster relief efforts, you may do so by clicking here. We need additional monetary donations to help with fuel, water, and nonperishable food items we can purchase at local stores in the surrounding communities. Thank you for your continued support. Please continue to pray for the families suffering through loss, and for...
Sheep Dog Hunt – Spring 2014
Our Spring 2014 – Sheep Dog Hunt, gave us the opportunity to honor several deserving Sheep Dogs. Combat wounded vets and first responders, Cpl Jonathan Stephenson, Detective Steve Pedersen, and Cpl Nick Perales, joined us for an amazing weekend of hog hunting, target shooting, and other unique adventures on Turkey Creek Ranch in north Texas. This hunt would not have been possible without the outstanding support and efforts of ProTrucks and Broadway Contracting of Siloam Springs, AR. ProTrucks and Broadway Contracting sponsored every bit of the hunt.
Heroes Ruck Challenge 2014
On Saturday, March 22, 2014, fifty-three athletes gathered at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock to raise funds for the Central AR disaster relief effort and to commemorate those members of the military and first responders we’ve lost. The 2014 Heroes Ruck Challenge was a 15.3 mile team road march that started at the Clinton grounds, wound through downtown Little Rock to the Big Dam Bridge and back along the North Little Rock shore of the Arkansas River to the finish line back at the CPC. Teams included a team from the Alexandria, LA SWAT unit, an Arkansas National Guard training unit, two Naval Reserve units, a local Boy Scout troop, ROTC and JROTC contingents as well as a civilian team made up of former law enforcement officers that marched in the name of a fallen comrade. At 7am the teams gathered for a safety brief and a rousing rendition of the National Anthem sung by a Sheep Dog volunteer. Afterward, the names of...
2013 Sheep Dog of the Year Recipients
2013 Sheep Dog of the Year Recipients At this years 2nd Annual Sheep Dog Charity Ball, we awarded our first ever Sheep Dog of the Year recipients. This will be an annual award designed to recognize one person from each of our service organizations, a law enforcement officer, fireman, EMT, and military service member. You can learn more about the award selection process, and make nominations for 2014 starting in June, via this link http://sheepdogia.org/sheep-dog-of-the-year-award/ Capt. Andy Lee was selected as the 2013 Law Enforcement Sheep Dog of the Year! Before beginning an amazing 18 year career in Law Enforcement, Andy also overachieved in the military. Andy has much to take pride in and we are certainly proud to have him selected as this years award recipient. Capt. Josh Chapman was selected as the 2013 Fire & Rescue Sheep Dog of the Year! Josh has performed at an exceptional level as a fireman, earning a stellar reputation among...
