4 Reasons Your #GivingTuesday Plans Should Include Operation Enduring Warrior

The multitude of choices for charitable giving grows by leaps and bounds each year. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations are registered in the U.S. With all of these worthwhile causes, why should you give to Operation Enduring Warrior?

We'll give you four reasons...

1. We are 100% volunteer.

Operation Enduring Warrior was founded with the mission to HONOR, EMPOWER and MOTIVATE our nation's wounded veterans in 2013. Since that time we have grown to over 1,000 Community Ambassadors, developed multiple programs to serve, connect, and provoke our beneficiaries to realize their potentials, and facilitated veterans and their families reconnecting through physical challenges, team building and social outlets.

Being 100% volunteer provides our donors with the assurance that everything we do and every dollar they give... goes directly to the heart of our mission!

2. Transparency.

Our dedication to transparency and financial accountability earned OEW the Gold Seal of Transparency on GuideStar in 2018. GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. More than 8 million visitors per year and over 200+ partners use GuideStar data to grow support for nonprofits. To gain this status, OEW shared important information with the public using our profile on GuideStar.

3. Impact.

Our ongoing outreach efforts have a deep and lasting impact on those we meet in our local communities. In fact, our mission has been such a success over the last five years that we expanded our programs in 2018 to include wounded law enforcement officers. Whether it be prior military or prior LEO by our sides for an event, every participant experiences the bonds of teamwork and the pride of accomplishing feats that were likely once believed to be forever out of their reach.

PJ and OEW Team Athletes completing the barbed wire crawl at the West Point Spartan Race in August 2018.

"After being shot in the line of duty in March of 2016 and becoming disabled, there were so many things I thought I would never do again. With time, a lot of hard work, and people like the ones with Operation Enduring Warrior and Task Force Sentinel, I have now become as active as I want to be, not allowing myself to be defined by my disabilities but by my new abilities. This organization has had a big hand in changing my life for the better." ~Pete Tanzilli, Police Officer

4. Their Legacies.

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Perhaps the most rewarding moments are the ones during which our athletes understand their own growth and potential to be stories of inspiration and resilience. Many of our athletes discover the strong desire to help others who are struggling with the same injuries and emotional states that they have overcome. The ability to share their stories and to listen as others share their burdens and disappointments, offers another vast level of healing and success. The legacies they begin to build and share helps our communities and society to heal one person, one family at a time. These are the moments during which we know that we have served a greater purpose and helped to change the lives of all those involved.

Help OEW to make a difference today!

"Saved" as presented by Nulo Pet Food

On November 7, 2018 Nulo Pet Food launched a series to highlight those humans and their incredible service companions who serve our communities. Team Athlete Andrew Einstein and his service dog, Gunner, were featured throughout Nulo's website and on social media. Sharing their story of strength, resilience, and rescue we learn that this rescue story may be a little different than most would expect.

Who SAVED who?

Watch to find out and learn this heartwarming story of savior and companion.

https://youtu.be/jclw24crsIA

"I wanted this one dog. I didn't want him at all. I kept pushing him away, because he was like, the runt. He kept pushing through the dogs and jumping on my lap. And I was sitting there and my buddy puts his hand on my shoulder and goes, "That dog picked you."

"I was suicidal, dealing with all these issues, and he still picked me."

You can catch Andrew and Gunner on an obstacle course near you with Operation Enduring Warrior. To follow our race schedule and plan your next event running alongside our team and furry companions, follow our event schedule on Facebook. >> OEW Events

HONORING THEIR SACRIFICE

Behind the Mask: Sacrifice

Q: What does your call sign mean to you?

A: My callsign was given to me after I had the honor of becoming a MAT for OEW. When I think of ‘Sacrifice’, I feel it’s a selfless service to put yourself over something bigger than yourself.

Q: What branch of the military did you serve in (or are currently serving in), for how long, and what was your job?

A: I served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as an infantryman for nine years with three deployments.

Q: Why did you commit to the Masked Athlete program?

A: To be honest, I ran into OEW at my first Spartan Race (Wintergreen, VA 2013) and the OCAs assisted when I needed help throughout the grueling race (my opinion, our OCAs are a huge contributor in OEW's mission). When we finished, a MAT member, who is also a leg amputee but also missing an arm from his wounds in Iraq, asked what I thought of joining OEW. I didn’t think I would be ready for such a commitment, but this is a gentleman I looked up to from following his social media, so to meet face to face and him asking what I thought was a huge honor. I basically joined to challenge myself, but going through the process of INDOC and to be part of a team again, and earn a spot on the team, made me build my confidence again to try my best to be a leader, not just for the wounded veteran culture, but in life in general. OEW has done quite a bit in my personal life to fill those voids in after taking off my uniform, I now stay committed to show others in the Armed Forces community that you can continue to serve and lead outside of the combat boots and deployments.

Q: Motto or principle you live by.

A: Change is good. When you remain the same, you’re not growing.

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Q: What is your best or most unforgettable OEW-related memory?

A: My most unforgettable memory was working with Marine CPL Matthew Bradford. Matt stepped on an IED in Haditha, Iraq and has sustained meet serious injuries as he is now completely visually impaired and is a double-leg amputee. Matt & his wife Amanda reached out to OEW to handbike a half-Marathon in their hometown of Lexington, KY and I was asked to guide him as we’d be in separate handbikes. I asked my good friend, Army Sgt Nick Koulchar, to assist us in our mission as he also is on a separate bike. Around mile 12, Matt & I collided bikes, which was the result of breaking my left hand. When I got my baring, I ran over to Matt & apologized, but his response totally summed up the type of warrior spirit  Matthew carries within himself: “Eh, I got blown up. This is nothing.”  We all finished the race, and the humility I received from that day working alongside Matt will always be there.

Q: What piece of advice would you give someone who is interested in becoming a MAT?

A: For anybody who would like to become a MAT member, remember: it’s not about me or you...it’s about all of us. We are not looking for studs, we are looking for physically fit, reliable teammates. And I don’t mean just on the course, there’s logistics that tie into each event which sometimes we all take a part of. Get ready to be a part of something bigger than us.

About INDOC: The application process to apply for the Masked Athlete Team Warrior INDOC opens on an as-needed basis for a short window of submission. Requirements are men or women with military or LEO experience. Announcements are made via social media. Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and check back frequently for our open enrollment announcement.