Sheep Dog Impact Assistance Raises Over $160,000 at Heroes Gala
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance Recognizes Sheep Dogs of the Year and Raises Over $160,000 at Heroes Gala Proceeds to Fund Programs to Help Reduce Suicides in Veteran/First Responder Communities
The tables have long been cleared and the floors have been swept, but the impact that the Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) 7th Annual Heroes Gala had on its attendees on Saturday, April 27, was powerful. So powerful that the event raised more than $160,000, the proceeds of which will be used to fund Disaster Response Missions and sponsor Veterans and First Responders for Outdoor Adventures during 2019. Heroes Gala Emcee Aaron Mankin, USMC (Ret.), Honorary Chair David Scogin, Guest Speaker Cpl. Nick Perales, USMC (Ret.), Gold Star Mother Debbie Lee, and BlackGuard Customs founder and USMC veteran Cpl. Liam Fuller spoke to the crowd of over 500, touching the hearts of all who heard their stories.
Much like a military ball, the Heroes Gala began with an official ceremony, the...
SDIA, Carry The Load and the 2019 Memorial May Events
SDIA, Carry The Load and the 2019 Memorial May Events Sheep Dog Impact Assistance is excited to have been chosen as a Non-Profit Partner for Carry The Load in 2019! This partnership is designed to bring honor to the sacrifice of our nation’s heroes by bringing back the true meaning of Memorial Day across the country. It is also a platform for SDIA and Carry The Load to raise funds for our mission to engage, assist, and empower our veterans and first responders.
On Memorial Day Weekend, SDIA encourages and invites all our Members and Volunteers across the US to consider volunteering with the Northwest Arkansas Chapter and National Office Staff in Dallas for Carry The Load's Memorial May events. The Northwest Arkansas Chapter will be:
Planting flags at the Fayetteville (AR) National Cemetery; Driving to Dallas to participate in the Memorial March; Manning a booth at the Non-Profit Partners (NPP) Tent; and Running the Mess Tent...
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...
Suicide is the Reason SDIA Empowers Sheep Dogs to #GetOffTheCouch
September is Suicide Prevention Month. Many of us know or know of someone who has committed suicide. We also know that people of all ages, beliefs, professions, ethnic backgrounds and financial situations choose to end their lives. A widely publicized number of suicides for the veteran population is 22 per day, and it is estimated that the number of suicides in our first responder communities could be double that. How can we curb this surge of lives lost? How can we help those that are hurting so deeply? How can we get these brave men and women who are willing to die for us to talk about “it”? At Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA), we have seen that it starts with getting Sheep Dogs off the proverbial “couch” – that dark, desolate place that so many get stuck in – and around fellow Sheep Dogs who have suffered similar traumas & experiences. Being among their military and first responder brothers and sisters brings...
SDIA Honors Our Fallen Heroes Through Memorial Day Events
Throughout the month of May, SDIA Teams & Chapters have prepared for Memorial Day – a day for our nation to remember the men and women of the US military who have given their lives defending our country and freedoms. Indeed, our freedom is NOT free…it has come with a heavy price, and we honor those lost by participating in various events throughout the month.
May begins with our Teams & Chapters electing to participate in Carry The Load’s Rallies and East Coast Relay by walking 5-mile ‘legs’ of the 2,100-mile relay route from West Point Cemetery in New York to the Memorial March at Reverchon Park in Dallas, Texas, on Memorial Day weekend. The Relay operates 24 hours a day, handing off the American flag every 5 miles, and reminds people of the true meaning of Memorial Day - to honor our nation’s fallen heroes. Participants are encouraged to “carry the load” – a weighted backpack – with names...
SDIA’s 6th Annual Heroes Gala to Help Veterans, First Responders Get Off The Couch
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) will host their 6th Annual Heroes Gala on Saturday, April 21, 2018, from 5:30-11:00PM at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. This year’s Heroes Gala will include a limited-seating VIP Reception at 4:30pm, followed by a social hour and silent auction bidding, a short ceremony, dinner and dancing. Awards to honor those Sheep Dogs who have lived out the SDIA motto, “Helping Others is a Way of Life,” will be presented to Military, Law Enforcement, and Fire & Rescue “Sheep Dogs of the Year.” Funds raised during the evening will be used to help more of our nation's Sheep Dogs #GetOffTheCouch with SDIA’s Disaster Response and Outdoor Adventure programs.
Guest speaker, SSgt Jose Sanchez (USMC, Ret.), and emcee, Cpl Aaron P. Mankin (USMC, Ret.), will entertain and inspire attendees with their life stories and anecdotes throughout the evening. SSgt Sanchez is an active SDIA member who suffered severe injuries...
Hunting, Golfing & Skydiving Weekend Gives Veterans Much-Needed Camaraderie
The weekend of March 1-4 saw eleven Sheep Dogs hunting, golfing, and jumping out of planes during our annual Spring Bird Hunt hosted by Bethel Ranch in Whitewright, Texas. Bethel Ranch and their staff took excellent care of Army veterans Joshua Franklin, Merrill White, Beau Saucier, Chance Giannelli, Rob Beidleman, Nick Atchison, and Jason Thompson, as well as Marine veterans James Dunaway, Robert J Houser, Michael Nimmo, and Air Force veteran Scott Lilley. From the food and camaraderie to game bird hunting, Bethel Ranch treated all our Sheep Dogs like kings; the staff at The Bridges Golf Club was also incredibly generous to them. Skydive Spaceland Dallas got them in the air and safely back down to the ground, giving each an epic adrenaline rush. Merrill White hadn’t really thought much about skydiving before, but “being with that group inspired me to do more. I was able to relax and have fun...
SDIA Named CTL Non-Profit Partner for Second Straight Year
We are thrilled to share with you that SDIA has been selected as a Carry The Load (CTL) Non-Profit Partner for the second straight year! Over the past few years, we have established a rewarding relationship with CTL, and look forward to participating again in their Memorial May events. While this partnership has more benefits for us on an operational level, increasing awareness of SDIA through CTL’s vast network of like-minded organizations will benefit everyone associated with us. Increased awareness means more interest, more members, new Teams & Chapters, more financial support and more Sheep Dogs for us to engage, assist and empower on a national level.
Last year, SDIA had great participation in CTL’s Memorial May events – but we want to do more in 2018 to show CTL and our country how we can all honor and help our nation’s Sheep Dogs. Participation is whatever you can do – contribute financially, walk 5 or more miles on...
SDIA’s First Outdoor Adventure of 2018
For three days, four sponsored Sheep Dogs and one support personnel ventured into the icy terrain and below freezing temperatures of Pocahontas, AR, to get their hunt on. The Sheep Dogs were welcomed to Fallin Feathers Duck Club by owners, Arthur and Monica Loyd. During their stay, the men hunted for pheasant, did some skeet shooting and relaxed with their peers. The sponsored Sheep Dogs enjoyed this all-expenses-paid get away with the support of Fallin Feathers. While these Outdoor Adventures may seem like a “free vacation,” there is much more going on than meets the eye. Our nation’s Sheep Dogs enjoy a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie in their military and first responder lives that is nearly impossible to replicate outside of those worlds. Add to this disconnected feeling an in-combat or line-of-duty injury, and these brave men and women often become depressed, isolated and lose their sense of purpose. By bringing these Sheep Dogs on an Outdoor Adventure, we...
SDIA & Fallin Feathers Partner for Final 2017 Hunt
Last month, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) sent three Sheep Dogs in Need on our final Outdoor Adventure of 2017 . They were welcomed by Fallin Feathers Duck Club in Pocahontas, AR, for two exciting days of duck hunting December 12-14, 2017. In addition to incredible hunting grounds, the atmosphere at Fallin Feathers helped foster the camaraderie many Sheep Dogs search for outside their military and/or first responder professions. Getting injured veterans and first responders off the couch and around other Sheep Dogs who have been through similar situations is vital to inspiring a positive state of mind and perspective for the Sheep Dog and their family.
We are excited to announce Fallin Feathers will partner with SDIA for another hunt this month (January 15-18), and hopefully many more to come. Know of a Sheep Dog in need who would benefit from the camaraderie and excitement of our Outdoor Adventures? Go to sheepdogia.org for more...