Happy New Year 2020!
Happy New Year! 2019 was an incredible year, and we've got big plans to make 2020 - our 10th Anniversary - our biggest and best yet! We can't wait to share it all with you, because YOU made it all possible. It's hard to believe, but on July 13, 2020, SDIA will be 10 years old. That's:
10 years of helping Sheep Dogs #GetOffTheCouch; 10 years of Disaster Response Missions and Outdoor Adventures; 10 years of lives changed by bringing Sheep Dogs together; and 10 years of working with amazing donors, supporters and sponsors to make it happen.
We have many things planned to make 2020 our most exciting year yet. We'll soon be launching limited edition merchandise, and have a special event in the works - as well as incredible guests like American hero Noah Galloway and US Army veteran and country singer/musician Matt Williams lined up for our Heroes Gala on April 18. For now, we simply want to wish...
2019 Turkey Trot for Heroes Coverage
https://youtu.be/ePr8rk0IP4w
https://www.nwahomepage.com/myfox24/turkey-trot-for-heroes-2/amp/ https://www.nwahomepage.com/lifestyle/good-day-nwa/good-day-nwa-turkey-trot-for-heroes/
https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/knwa/turkey-trot-for-heroes/...
SDIA’s Turkey Trot for Heroes Happens in TWO DAYS!
SDIA's 12th annual #TurkeyTrotForHeroes 5K is TWO DAYS AWAY! Register today to #GetOffTheCouch and honor those who willingly put their life on the line for us every day - sign up at https://tinyurl.com/yxu9ta92 today!
Our Turkey Trot for Heroes has something for everyone!
Turkey Trot is a standard 5K Wild Gobbler is a 5K with five scalable CrossFit exercise stations throughout the route, each one honoring a Fallen Hero (see who they are below) 1-mile Fun Run/Walk is for families or those who want to participate without running a 5K Virtual Run - if you're traveling or live outside NWA (or are not a runner!), you can still participate and support our mission by registering for this option!
No matter where you are, you can get your Turkey Trot on!
2019 FALLEN HEROES Each year we honor five Fallen Heroes on our Wild Gobbler 5K route. At each station, there are scalable/modifiable CrossFit exercises that represent the Hero...
SDIA’s Trip to NYC Brings Healing, Camaraderie to 80+ Veterans, First Responders
Veterans, First Responders Visit Ground Zero The last weekend in September 2019 was beautiful in New York City, and the nearly 90 Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) Outdoor Adventurers filled their days with an appearance on Fox & Friends, tours, food, a 5K and the much-needed camaraderie of their fellow Sheep Dogs. This SDIA Outdoor Adventure centered on Ground Zero, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation 5K because for many of the sponsored Sheep Dogs, their military and/or first responder professions began as a direct result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. These sites were “bucket list” items for many, bringing them full circle, physically and emotionally. “I feel like my military career and experiences came full circle. That everyone I know who is no longer here is commemorated every year at the very least. And that this organization is here to have your six and get you out there...
SDIA Completes First Disaster Response Mission to Bahamas
SDIA’s Disaster Response (DR) Team has returned home from the Bahamas after eight long days and nights of traveling to/from, and working in, the Bahamas. While they are physically exhausted, helping the Bahamian people begin to recover was a very powerful and rewarding experience for the entire team. The DRM Team was made up of 12 people – six from Northwest Arkansas (including SDIA’s founder & president, and three National Office staff members), two from the Central Florida Team, one from the Central North Carolina Team, one from the Southern Indiana Team, one from the Greater Cincinnati Chapter, and one from New York.
The work the DR Team completed in their two very full days made a huge difference in the lives of those they assisted. The Team:
assisted more than 300 people, including 5 former law enforcement officers (two with 30+ years of service); tarped 21 roofs, including a preschool/daycare; cleared 39 trees; mucked-out 3 houses; ...
NEWS Coverage of DRM to Bahamas
https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/knwa/day-3-sheep-dog-impact-assistance-assisting-in-the-bahamas/ ‘https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/knwa/day-3-sheep-dog-impact-assistance-assisting-in-the-bahamas
https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/bahamas-strong-local-volunteer-helps-rebuild-after-dorian/ ‘https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/bahamas-strong-local-volunteer-helps-rebuild-after-dorian/
https://www.kark.com/news/sheep-dog-deploying-to-bahamas-for-hurricane-dorian-relief/
https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/knwa/sheep-dog-deployed-to-the-bahamas/
SDIA Deploys on Their First Disaster Response Mission Outside the US to Bahamas
For the first time in our history, #SDIA deployed a #DisasterResponse Team (DRT) outside of the US to the #Bahamas. The DRT departed on Wed., 9/11, and arrived in Miami, Florida, Thursday evening. The Team’s transportation to the Bahamas was originally slated for Fri., 9/13; however, Tropical Storm Humberto and logistical issues caused delays. We are happy to report that the Team disembarked the ship for relief efforts the morning of Mon., Sept. 16, and immediately went to work helping Bahamians by covering leaking roofs and windows, removing trees and debris from homes & properties, and distributing supplies. You can follow our Bahamas #DisasterResponseMission (DRM) right here, and on our social media pages (Facebook @SheepDogIA; Instagram @sheep_dog_impact_assistance). Want to know where they're at? You can see their location in real time by clicking this link: https://tinyurl.com/y45n2klq We need your support so that our DRT can help as many people as possible! Please join our Team...
Veterans, First Responders Deploy as Disaster Season Starts Early and Hits Hard
SDIA's 2019 Disaster Season Starts Early
The 2019 storm season started off much earlier than usual across the US, hitting the central portion particularly hard. But Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) Disaster Response members and volunteers were ready.
Since March, SDIA’s Disaster Response (DR) teams have already deployed on 9 Disaster Response Missions (DRMs) to areas affected by tornadoes and flooding in Alabama, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Kansas and Arkansas. Our DR teams - made up of 128 SDIA members from our Central Arkansas Chapter, Central Florida Team, Greater Cincinnati Chapter, Kansas Chapter, Mississippi Team, North Texas Chapter, Northwest Arkansas Chapter, Southern Indiana Team, and Southern Missouri Team, as well as members & volunteers from Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia - have spent 24 days on missions so far. They cleared more than 372 trees & truckloads of debris from 50+ properties, mucked out many homes, distributed medical, cleaning, hygiene...
Sheep Dogs Heal Through Helping
Recent Alabama tornadoes bring Sheep Dogs together for four days of meaningful volunteer work.
On Sunday, March 3, tornadoes touched down across portions of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. The worst of these was a devastating EF-4 tornado that claimed the lives of 23 people and destroyed numerous homes and businesses in Lee County, Alabama. Within 3 days, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) had a Disaster Response (DR) Team on the ground to help. “I hated seeing the people in the shape they were in,” said Christopher MacKay, an Army veteran volunteer. “Their spirits were high, but you could see in their eyes they had a lot of work ahead of them. I’m glad we could cut down on their burden.”
And they did. The DR Team conducted chainsaw operations in the area to clear more than 250 downed or damaged trees from roads, driveways, houses and 19 properties, as well as other meaningful work. At the end of the four-day mission, the...
KNWA/KFTA Covers SDIA as top 20 Finalist in 2019 Citizen Honors Awards
Watch the full story here. Excerpt: "[SDIA's] work to help veterans and first responders get off the couch and recover the sense of camaraderie and meaning they felt while in uniform, is now being recognized on a national level. SDIA is Top 20 Finalist for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's 2019 Citizen Honors Awards. "For us to also make it into the top 20 nationally, I think was a testament to the men and women that serve so passionately in our organization and the difference they are making nationwide," [SDIA founder & president, SgtMaj Lance] Nutt, USMC (Ret.) said. The Citizen Honors Awards recognizes those who embody the values of the medal of honor - courage, sacrifice, commitment, integrity, citizenship and patriotism. Nutt says just to be nominated is a tremendous honor. "We're looking forward to having serious conversations about how we can do more and how Sheep Dog Impact Assistance can play a role in helping our veterans get...