4th Annual Charity Ball Funds 35 Sheep Dogs for Yosemite Adventure
Last Friday, April 22, we held our 4th Annual Charity Ball at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. With over 350 people in attendance, and special musical guests Backroad Anthem, we were blown away by the generosity shown by everyone. Our goal for the evening was to recognize the best of our nation’s Military & First Responders, and our supporters, as well as to raise money to sponsor a few of the 35 combat wounded veterans and first responders injured in the line of duty for our Outdoor Adventure to Yosemite National Park next month. We are astonished and proud to share that net proceeds of over $25,000 will help sponsor ALL 35 of these men and women for this once-in-a-lifetime trip. While this trip will be fun and exciting, participating in outdoor adventures is vital to the healing of our sponsored individuals; these adventures present them with new challenges to test their rehabilitation skills, restore independence and...
SDIA Combat Wounded Member’s Social Media Videos Getting Attention
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is excited to share that one of our Combat Wounded Veteran Members, Jose Luis Sanchez, was featured on CrossFit HQ’s Facebook* and Instagram* page on Wednesday! Sanchez's Facebook and Instagram posts showing his training, perseverance and hard core resolve at Warrior Fitness Center caught their attention. In October 2011, SSgt Jose Luis Sanchez had no idea how drastically his life was about to change. While conducting a foot patrol in Afghanistan, Sanchez stepped on an IED, resulting in the amputation of his left leg below the knee, and an extremely damaged, but salvageable, right leg. For the next four years, Sanchez would struggle daily to accept the man he had become. He hid from the world – physically and emotionally – because he feared how others would see him…his injuries. Yet he vigorously pushed himself in physical therapy so he would walk again. Then he began CrossFit, and physically pushed himself further than he...
SDIA Winner of GovX Mission Giveback Donation
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is excited to announce that they have been chosen as the February recipient of GovX.com’s Mission Giveback program. GovX.com (GovX), the online shopping site exclusively for current and former military and first responders – our nation’s “Sheep Dogs” – hosts this monthly contest allowing GovX members to cast a vote for their favorite service-related organization which performs work or support among Sheep Dog communities. Whichever organization tallies the most votes receives a portion of GovX proceeds from all orders placed in the following month. During the January voting period, SDIA received the most votes from GovX members. “We are very grateful to GovX and their members for choosing SDIA as the February Mission Giveback winner,” exclaimed SDIA’s founder and president, SgtMaj Lance Nutt. “Every year we strive to give and do more for our nation’s veterans, first responders and communities. This donation holds tremendous power and will directly affect the lives of our neighbors...
SDIA Assists Communities in Texas and NW Arkansas
During the week of December 28, 2015, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) deployed four Disaster Response Teams (DRTs) to the Rowlett, Texas, area to assist with recovery efforts for those affected by tornadoes that struck the region two days prior. Thanks to the support of our generous donors and sponsors, SDIA deployed disaster response teams to north Texas, as well as flood relief teams to NW Arkansas and SW Missouri communities. Fourteen SDIA members and volunteers from Arkansas, Kansas, Tennessee and Texas converged on the north Texas town of Rowlett, and provided chainsaw operations, debris removal and covered leaky roofs and windows on 34 homes. To see more pictures of the Rowlett DRM, visit our Facebook Album. We owe a special thank you to Larry "LG" Norrell and the crew of Bethel Ranch for allowing our teams to stay at Bethel Ranch. We could not have eaten or slept better if we had been in our own homes.
Don’t Miss SDIA’s 5th Annual Patriot Day Event on Sat., Sept. 12, 2015
We all see children watch with excitement and fascination when emergency vehicles race by, sirens blaring and lights flashing. To them, First Responders and Military are larger than life and true heroes. Imagine how excited they would be to sit in a First Responder vehicle, put on some Military gear and learn first-hand what their heroes do on a regular basis. Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is honored to give them this opportunity at their 5th Annual Patriot Day event on Sat., Sept. 12, 2015, from 9:00AM to 4:30PM at the Bentonville Municipal Airport. Proceeds from the event will provide funding for SDIA’s Thanksgiving Outreach program, which provides a full Thanksgiving dinner to identified Sheep Dog in Need families.
The Northwest Arkansas 2015 Patriot Day event is free to the public – thanks to Sponsors like Walmart, Propper, Zantac, Heritage Indian Motorcycles of NWA and Tyson – and will be a fun, educational day for...
SPARTAN BEAST RACE – Breckenridge, CO
On June 13th, a Team of 13 Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) members and supporters participated in the Spartan Beast Race in Breckenridge, CO. SDIA was honored to sponsor, with the support of New Creature and Spartan, two combat wounded veterans, Sgt Matt Spang (US Army) and SSgt Jose Sanchez (USMC), as they both pushed their limits on this 13-mile course.
While in Afghanistan, Sgt Spang suffered severe injuries and lost both legs below the knee. SSgt Sanchez lost one leg and suffered major injuries to his other leg while serving in Iraq. To see these young warriors push themselves through the grueling Beast course was an inspiration to everyone on the race trail.
Prior to the Beast, the furthest Sgt Spang had gone on his prosthetic legs in one outing was 200 yards. But that Saturday, he surpassed all expectations. The steep snow-covered descents were especially difficult, but with the entire team working together, all made it safely down...
SDIA & FLEOA Join Forces to Strengthen Assistance to Officers
As a nonprofit organization founded to give back to our nation’s “Sheep Dogs” – the men and women who bravely make up the ranks of our military and first responder professions – Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is honored to announce a new partnership with the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA). “It is a natural alliance,” said SDIA’s founder and President, SgtMaj Lance Nutt. “Our mission is to provide assistance to all those who have served or are currently serving our country and communities to keep us safe on a daily basis.” That includes military personnel as well as first responders – law enforcement, fire & rescue, and EMS. “We couldn’t think of a better way to align ourselves with the federal law enforcement community than to partner with FLEOA,” he added. Nathan Catura, FLEOA’s National Executive Vice President, agrees. “Our members look to us to provide them with assistance with legal matters,” he said. “It seems fitting to join...
SDIA Spring 2015 Hunt
Another great bi-annual Sheep Dog Hunt is in the books! Hunting at Turkey Ranch in NW Texas never disappoints, and our hosts (Broadway Contracting and ProTrucks of Siloam Springs, Arkansas) always deliver one of the best experiences around. But for our sponsored combat wounded vets and first responders injured in the line of duty, it's more than just a hunt for wild boar and other critters. Participating in the hunt allows them the opportunity to relax and be themselves around others who have survived similar experiences, and that’s hard to find for most of them. Whether hunting, target shooting, or another unique adventure, the chance to bond with fellow Sheep Dogs and supporters is priceless. During this hunt, we honored the service and sacrifice of SSG Zach Pryor (US Army), CPL Sebastian Gallegos (USMC), SGT Matthew Melancon (US Army), and MAJ Drew Gilchrist (USMC). Their dedication and commitment to our nation is to be commended, and the blood, sweat, and limbs...
SDIA Deploys Disaster Response Team to Northern Illinois
Tornado season is upon us, and for Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) that means being ready to hit the road with chainsaws, tarps and able bodies to assist communities in need at a moment’s notice. On Friday, April 10, at 4:00PM, that’s exactly what happened. SDIA deployed a team of six Northwest Arkansas members and volunteers who headed north to Illinois to help the community of Kirkland, one of a few areas ravaged by tornadoes. Once in northern Illinois, the NWA team met up with other SDIA members from Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and Tennessee and went to find people to help. Following the path of the tornado, the team saw areas that were virtually untouched – like a mobile home park in Rochelle – as well as areas with larger homes that were completely destroyed. Finding the Kirkland neighborhood gave the SDIA team the opportunity to assist residents by clearing downed trees, covering leaking windows and roofs, and talking with its...
SDIA Presents PTSD Service Dog to Bentonville Veteran, Dan Moss
Since returning home after serving 24 years and three combat tours in the U.S. Army, veteran Dan Moss has struggled in his transition to civilian life. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, has had a dramatic negative impact on his day-to-day life. But that is beginning to change. In the ten days since Moss was presented with Justice, a rescued 1-1/2 year old German shepherd trained as a PTSD Service Dog, improvements have occurred at a regular rate. Moss’s wife, Judy, noticed that after only a few days with Justice, her husband showed fewer signs of hyper vigilance at the presentation ceremony. “Dan was able to stand almost the entire ceremony with his back to the door,” she said. “That NEVER happens.” Moss has noticed other ways Justice is helping him. “It hasn’t been without some stress [adjusting to each other],” he explained. “That in itself helps because it gives me a single focal point, so I’m not constantly surveying the environment –...