BRAVE Program

09/03/2026

Hey First Responders- Check this out! 👀

"Labor Day Weekend is packed with family fun at Franklin Field as the Milwaukee Milkmen wrap up the regular season with four games in four days! ⚾"

Share this with your law enforcement, Medics, EMTs, Firefighters and favorite teachers!! 👩‍🏫🚔🚑🚒

✨ FRIDAY, SEPT. 4 — Postgame Drone Show + FREE Ticket for First Responders
👽 SATURDAY, SEPT. 5 — Area 414 Night + UF-Glow Headwear Giveaway for the first 1,000 fans
🍩 SUNDAY, SEPT. 6 — FREE Donut for Kids + Postgame Autographs
🍎 LABOR DAY, MONDAY, SEPT. 7 — Back-to-School Celebration featuring Kids Eat FREE + FREE Ticket for Teachers

09/03/2026

This past Saturday, BRAVE was honored to join Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 45-3 in Appleton for their Military Su***de Awareness Ride, held in memory of SPC Rick Reffke.

BRAVE’s Casey was there representing our team and hosting a resource table. Connecting with Veterans, families, riders, and members of the community and making sure they know resources like BRAVE are available when they need them.

Events like these matter immensely. They create space to remember those we've lost, to talk openly about su***de, and to remind the people still carrying difficult things that they don't have to carry them alone.

A sincere thank you to CVMA Chapter 45-3 for inviting BRAVE to be part of such a meaningful day and for continuing to bring awareness to military su***de.

We were honored to be there in Rick's memory, and we look forward to joining you again next year.

Check on your people. Ask again. Stay for the answer.

***deAwareness ***dePrevention

09/02/2026

Where were you on September 11, 2001?

For many of us, you don't have to think very long before answering that question.

You remember where you were. Who you were with. What you were doing when you heard. What you saw on television. And for some, you remember what happened next.

You went to the firehouse. You put on a uniform. You deployed. You decided to enlist. You chose a career in public service.

Twenty-five years later, there is now an entire generation with no personal memory of September 11.

The Gary Sinise Foundation is working to preserve the firsthand stories of people who lived through that day. The loss, the heroism, the fear, the service, and the extraordinary way people came together afterward.

At BRAVE, we have the privilege of knowing Veterans and First Responders whose lives and careers were profoundly shaped by 9/11 and everything that followed.

If you remember September 11, the Gary Sinise Foundation is inviting you to share your story.

Click the link below:
https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/remembering9-11?utm_source=social+media&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=911&utm_term=ppc

#9/11 #343

A generation of Americans has no memory of 9/11. At the Gary Sinise Foundation, we're preserving the stories of those who experienced it so they can be shared with generations to come. Your story is part of our history. Will you share it?

09/01/2026

September is "National Su***de Prevention Month"- and we are going "hard in the paint" on this one....

DON'T WAIT FOR THE CRISIS.

Because su***de prevention isn't only what happens at the edge. It's recognizing the changes earlier. It's sleep. Isolation. Anger. Alcohol. Numbness. Relationship changes. Loss of purpose. Brain injury. Moral injury. It's noticing when someone isn't quite themselves and creating opportunities for connection before things reach a crisis.

It begins when we notice. When we ask the second question. When we make it okay to say, “Actually, I'm not doing very well.” When leaders create cultures where asking for help isn't viewed as weakness. When peers know how to recognize that something has changed. And when Veterans and First Responders know they don't have to wait until everything falls apart before they deserve support.

Some of these conversations may be uncomfortable. Have them anyway.

Check on your people. Ask again. Stay for the answer.

And if you're the one struggling, you don't have to earn the right to ask for help by getting worse first.

(For those that don't know what "hard in the paint" means: (Originating in basketball), hard in the paint is a slang expression for giving one’s full effort- Going all out- Max energy. That is what we are bringing this month. SO buckle up 💪💪)

***depreventionmonth

08/31/2026

🧠🧠 BRAVE Myth Monday🧠🧠

📍MYTH: “If they were really struggling, I’d know.”

They still show up for shift. They still answer the call. They still make the joke, help everyone else, take the overtime, answer the radio, finish the report, cook the dinner, manage the house, go to class and say:

"I’m fine.”

For Veterans and First Responders, functioning while carrying difficult things can become part of the job. Training, culture and years of experience can make someone incredibly good at continuing to perform, even when something underneath isn't okay.

Struggle doesn't always look like struggle.

Sometimes it looks like exhaustion. Irritability. Poor sleep. Nightmares. Withdrawal. Numbness. Working more. Drinking more. Losing interest in things that used to matter.

And other times, from the outside, it doesn't look like anything at all.

As we head into September and National Su***de Prevention Month, this is an important reminder:

📍📍Don't assume someone is okay simply because they look okay.

Check on your people.

And when you ask, “How are you?” - Stay long enough to hear the answer.

***deprevention

08/28/2026

🎓 Celebrating Katie! 💚

For the past year, we’ve had the privilege of having Katie, a 4th-year doctoral student, as part of the BRAVE team.

And after a year, you don’t just feel like a student around here. You become part of BRAVE.

Katie worked directly with our patients, assisted with group classes, learned alongside our clinical team, and became an active and familiar presence throughout the program. She also brought a deeply personal connection to our mission through her own military family and that understanding showed in the way she connected with the Veterans and First Responders we serve.

Now Katie is taking the next big step and applying for an internship in rehabilitation psychology!

Katie: THANK YOU for giving BRAVE a year of your time, energy, compassion, curiosity, and heart. We are better for having had you here, and we cannot wait to see where you go next.

Come back and visit us. Seriously. 😉

08/27/2026

Will represented the BRAVE Program at the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program held at Hennepin Technical College last Saturday, bringing three Minnesota National Guard units together in one space for pre-, during-, and post-deployment events.

It was a great opportunity to connect with current Guard members, families and parents throughout different stages of the deployment cycle and to make sure they know BRAVE is here when they need us.

Will also had the opportunity to connect with General Sharkey of the Minnesota National Guard and share more about the work happening at BRAVE.

Every one of these conversations matters. Building relationships before someone needs help makes it that much easier to know where to turn when they do.

Thank you to the Minnesota National Guard and Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program for allowing BRAVE to be part of the day!

Taking BRAVE beyond Wisconsin. One connection at a time. 🇺🇸

08/26/2026

Recently, our friend Steven was honored at the American Warrior Initiative (AWI) Celebrate America Gala, in Madison, WI. He was awarded a scholarship for a professionally trained service dog from Custom Canines Service Dog Academy.

For those of us at BRAVE who have had the privilege of knowing Steven, this wasn't simply the presentation of a service dog. It was the beginning of a new chapter.

A heartfelt thank you to the incredible team at AMI for your unwavering commitment to those who have served. Your generosity is changing lives in ways that extend far beyond one evening.

And to Custom Canines Service Dog Academy: THANK YOU for the extraordinary work you do preparing these remarkable dogs and creating partnerships that help Veterans and First Responders regain confidence, independence, and connection. The impact of your work is immeasurable.

Congratulations, Steven. We could not be happier for you. We can't wait to watch this next chapter unfold.

Sometimes healing comes through therapy.
Sometimes it comes through community.
And sometimes... it arrives on four paws. Happy National Dog Day! 🐕🐕

08/25/2026

🏍️ There are some events that remind us just how incredible this community really is.🏍️

On August 22, the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association (CVMA) CVMA Chapter 45-4 held its 9th Annual Wolf Pack Ride in Tomah, Wisconsin and we are incredibly honored that the proceeds from this year's ride will be donated to the BRAVE Program.

Amanda had the opportunity to spend the day with Chapter members and their families, share more about BRAVE, and have some meaningful conversations about Veterans, First Responders, brain injury, mental health, and the importance of knowing where to turn when help is needed.

And then there was one moment that really struck us- A gentleman walked up to Amanda, handed her a $100 bill, and simply asked that it be added to the funds being raised for BRAVE.

Every dollar raised through the Wolf Pack Ride will help BRAVE continue providing Veterans and First Responders access to the comprehensive care they deserve.

To CVMA Chapter 45-4: THANK YOU for choosing BRAVE. Thank you for welcoming Amanda into your Wolf Pack, for the conversations, the generosity, and for standing behind the people we serve. We are incredibly grateful to have you in our corner.

And we would be remiss if we didn't give an honorable mention to the build-your-own hot dog bar. 🌭😂
10/10. No notes.

Thank you, Wolf Pack. ❤️

08/25/2026

**Every day, Veterans and First Responders show up for us.**

On September 11th, let's show up for them.

Join us for the "BRAVE 11 to 11 Benefit" at Terrace 167 in Richfield, Wisconsin for an evening supporting the Veterans and First Responders living with the invisible wounds of service.

Can't attend?🗓
You can still make a difference.

💚 Purchase a ticket for a Veteran or First Responder to attend.
💚 Become a sponsor.
💚 Make a donation.
💚 Help us spread the word.

Every act of generosity helps BRAVE continue providing hope, healing, and answers to those who have dedicated their lives to serving others.

We hope you'll join us as we kick off our "11 to 11 Campaign" a season of remembrance and gratitude that spans from **September 11 to Veterans Day**.

🎟️ Learn more or support the mission here:
https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/dd8b08b4-79d0-4b28-88d6-7846030e918d/events/vevt:b5105a0b-0100-4f21-8012-3026757642d1/custom-page/cpage:0d60a514-e9ab-4e30-88f4-db9e33043036