Update #3 – Kilimanjaro: Climb for a Cause
THEY MADE IT!
The Sam's Furniture Kilimanjaro Climb for a Cause was an incredible success, as you can see by the image above!After seven days of climbing through the rainforest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and arctic climates, on smooth, easy trails and steep, rock covered ones, the team worked together to get as many as possible to the summit. A few were unable to make it all the way up, but all have said this was one of the hardest yet most amazing adventures they have ever done.By pushing through the adversities they faced, the purpose of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure was also successful. The grit and determination these heroes exhibited shows that everyone is able to do hard things and overcome the obstacles they are facing. The obstacles may be great, but with the support of others and with tenacity and grit, we have everything needed to overcome those...
Update #2 – Kilimanjaro: Climb for a Cause
Today is SUMMIT DAY!
The guys have been pushing through the pain, exhaustion and altitude to get this far, and TODAY THEY SUMMIT! We cannot thank Sam's Furniture enough for this incredible once-in-a-lifetime adventure for our nation's heroes.
Here's where they've been the past few days.
August 6 - Day 3: Shira 1 Camp (3,500m/11,500ft) to Shira 2 Camp (3,840m/12,600ft)
Elevation Gain: 340 metres / 1,100 feetHiking Time: Approximately 5 hoursHabitat: Moorland
After breakfast, they continued their hike across the rocky ridge onto Shira Plateau, where they saw the easterly side and the western breach with its dramatic glaciers on the west of Kibo Peak. They walked a bit further to reach Shira 2 Camp, which is very exposed and was much colder, with temperatures dropping below freezing.
Elevation Gain: 710 metres / 2,300 feetElevation Loss: 700 metres / 2,250 feetHiking Time: Approximately 6 to 7 hoursHabitat: Alpine...
UPDATE #1 – Kilimanjaro: Climb for a Cause
Our Kilimanjaro: Climb For A Cause team has brought Veterans from all over the US together to do one of the most challenging things they’ve ever done - climb Mt. Kilimanjaro! They have embarked on this challenge to bring awareness to veteran suicide and to show the world that no matter what, you can do and accomplish hard things!
Our Climbers have begun their trek, and will be taking the Lemosho route. They are 8 hours ahead of us, and as of this writing have finished Day 2.
Let’s get you caught up and full of Kilimanjaro facts.
The Climbers departed the US on Sunday, August 1, traveled for 20+ hours, and arrived in Tanzania on August 2, staying in a hotel in Moshi.
August 3 they did a gear check with their guides and porters to ensure everyone had all that they need for a successful climb.
And They’re Off to Climb Kili!
The Sam's Furniture Kilimanjaro Climb for a Cause is FINALLY HERE!
After months of preparation and training, the Climbing Team has arrived in Tanzania!The "Kili Climb for a Cause" Climbing Team, sponsored by Sam’s Furniture in Springdale, Arkansas, includes owners, Joe & Larra Donaldson, a video production team, and ten Veterans - four of which are Purple Heart recipients (single- and double-limb amputees).Be sure to watch our Facebook & Instagram pages (@SheepDogIA) as well as our website for updates on their progress.And once they hit the trail, click this link to see where they are at LIVE!
Our Kili Climbers on the bus in Tanzania.
Meet Our Purple Heart Recipient Climbers
While on his second tour during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, Sgt Galloway lost his left arm above the elbow, his left leg above...
4 Purple Heart Recipients Need Your Support to Climb Kilimanjaro
KILI CLIMB FOR A CAUSE
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is honored to be part of Sam's Furniture's Kilimanjaro Climb for a Cause happening in August.
The "Kili Climb for a Cause" climbing team, sponsored by Sam’s Furniture in Springdale, Arkansas, includes owners, Joe & Larra Donaldson, a video production team, and ten Veterans - four of which are Purple Heart recipients (single- and double-limb amputees).
This adventure was featured on the March 1, 2020, Fox & Friends show and was originally scheduled for July 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was rescheduled for August 2021.
WHY ARE WE CLIMBING?
The Kilimanjaro Climb for a Cause was created to inspire all individuals to face challenges head-on and work to overcome them. Summiting Kilimanjaro is a huge undertaking and accomplishment for a person without physical injuries to deal with. For those like our Purple Heart recipients who...
SDIA a Member of the Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network to Help Veterans, First Responders Heal
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is honored to announce that they are a proud member of the Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network, a new cognitive health and mental wellness network providing transformative care to veterans and first responders experiencing post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, and substance abuse launched by the Gary Sinise Foundation on February 16. The Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network builds on the work of the Marcus Institute for Brain Health and the Boulder Crest Foundation’s Warrior PATHH program. They will establish 20 treatment sites nationwide, including one in Northwest Arkansas where SDIA will deliver the Warrior PATHH program.
“We are incredibly honored to be a member of the Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network,” said SDIA founder and CEO, SgtMaj Lance Nutt, USMC (Ret.). “Our mission has always been to engage, assist and empower our nation’s Sheep Dogs (veterans and first responders) to Get Off The Couch™ and live their best lives. Partnering...
SDIA’s Warrior PATHH Training Program is Now Available!
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) will host the first Warrior PATHH training class in Northwest Arkansas next month, and we are so excited to help our nation's heroes transform times of deep struggle into profound strength and lifelong growth. The March class is full, but we have classes available throughout the year for you to participate in. Here is our class availability: March 13-19, 2021 – FULL
April 14-20, 2021 - 7 spots available May 14-20, 2021 (Female only) - 3 spots available June 23-29, 2021 - 6 spots available September 18-24, 2021 - 6 spots available October 16-22, 2021 - 8 spots available November 15-21, 2021 (Female only) - 8 spots available December 4-10, 2021 - 8 spots available
We want you (and Sheep Dogs you know) to take this first brave step in making peace with your past, living in the present, and planning for a great future.
Interested? Start the process by completing the Interest...
Happy New Year!
2020 was not the year that any of us expected. It was fraught with challenges, loss and change that no one wanted. But because of your generous support throughout the year, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) was able to adapt, overcome and continue our mission to help our nation's Sheep Dogs - Veterans and First Responders - Get Off The Couch™ and live life to the fullest. We hope 2021 will be a brighter year for everyone and will bring a return to a more "normal" way of life. We look forward to all the new year holds and hope you will continue to support SDIA and #GetOffTheCouch with us on an Outdoor Adventure, Disaster Response Mission, or through participating in our new training program, Warrior PATHH. Please take a moment to watch this video to see how YOU changed the lives of our nation's heroes. And thank you for investing in the lives of those who willingly put theirs on...
SDIA Partners with BCF to Launch Warrior PATHH Training in NWA
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance is honored to partner with Boulder Crest Foundation to deliver their life-changing Warrior PATHH Training for Combat Veterans and First Responders to Northwest Arkansas beginning in March 2021.
Warrior PATHH (Progressive and Alternative Training for Healing Heroes) is the nation's first non-clinical program designed to cultivate and facilitate Posttraumatic Growth (PTG). The program focuses on Combat Veterans and First Responders struggling with PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and other challenges associated with trauma, and teaches them how to transform times of deep struggle into profound strength and lifelong growth.
In 2021, SDIA will hold this training at Camp War Eagle while a dedicated facility is developed. How It Works This transformative 18-month program begins with seven days of intensive and immersive PTG training that taps into each students' strengths, skills and abilities. Throughout the program, they learn proven techniques to regulate thoughts, feelings, and actions, connect head and heart, and...
Our Mission Continues with Outdoor Adventures
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Office and Northwest Arkansas Chapter have dug deep to find ways to adapt, improvise and overcome many of the challenges presented by the guidance/mandates in place. While we have postponed our large-scale adventures to 2021, #OurMissionContinues! Our reformatted Outdoor Adventures now include groups of 10 or fewer whenever possible, and we press on to keep our Sheep Dogs off that couch. Since June, we have taken more than 60 Sheep Dogs in need on 2-day adventures to experience the thrill of off-roading with razors at Rush Springs Ranch, skydiving at Skydive Fayetteville, rockcrawling with Rockcrawlers 4x4 Club NWA at Byrd's Outdoor Center, water activities on Beaver Lake, and with the recent cooler weather, indoor axe throwing, climbing and more. While it sounds like we're “just having fun,” the camaraderie, peer support and sense of belonging participants feel during these adventures is critical to the overall well-being of each Sheep Dog attending.