SUPPORTING THE INFINITE HERO FOUNDATION JULY 19-23, 2018
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R avenna Invitational Reimagine Recovery Featuring Medal of Honor Recipients SAMMY L. DAVIS and SAL GIUNTA
PLUS: LIVE MUSIC from JACK TEMPCHIN, KEITH HARKIN and NEW NORTH Remembering WWII VET BILL HALIGAS BID in the SILENT AUCTION!
Infinitely Grateful
Highlights from the past FIVE YEARS of THE EVENT
WELCOME
(Left to right) Marcus Luttrell, J.R. Martinez, Dawn Collins, Kevin Collins, Morgan Luttrell
WELCOME to The Club at Ravenna. We are honored to partner with The Infinite Hero Foundation to host the 5th Annual Ravenna Invitational. The mission of The Infinite Hero Foundation (“IHF”) is to combat the most difficult front line issues – both mental and physical – that face military heroes and their families. The goal of the Invitational is to raise awareness and to provide funding to help make a tangible impact on the lives of our military veterans and their families. Since its inception in 2011, IHF has made grants totaling over $3.5 million in furtherance of its mission. The program of events has been expanded this year to include a Medal of Honor Character Development Program for the children of Ravenna. The 5-week program taught by a passionate group of volunteers from the Ravenna membership allowed the children to explore values of courage, commitment, sacrifice, patriotism, integrity, and citizenship through interactive lessons and engagement with the volunteers. On Thursday July 19th, the Foundation will convene a working forum with 20+ existing veteran service organizations that have been the recipients of grants funded by IHF. The organizations will provide working demonstrations on the technology and adaptive equipment IHF has supported. Also, through IHF’s partnership with the Concussion Legacy Foundation a panel discussion will be hosted on the topic of brain health. Panelists will include Dr. Ann McKee, an expert in Neurodegenerative Disease and recently named to Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list, Lt Morgan Luttrell, USN (ret); Senior Advisor of Veterans Relations at Department of Energy. The panel will be moderated by Dr. James Kelly, Executive Director, Marcus Institute for Brain Health. On Sunday, July 22nd, the IHF Gala will feature “An Evening of Stories.” Featured guest speakers are Medal of Honor recipients Sammy L. Davis and Sal Giunta. Foundation grant recipients Jason Redman (Overcome Academy) and Alex Oliver (Virginia High Performance) will introduce Mary Dague, recent graduate of the Overcome Academy, as she discusses her experience with the academy and her own inspirational story. Live auction and entertainment provided by New North, Keith Harkin and Jack Tempchin. The Invitational will be Monday, July 23rd and the format has changed from prior years and this year’s tournament is a shamble with an awards ceremony and mixer following the tournament. Guest speaker Frank Larkin – who recently retired as the 40th Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate – former Navy Seal, law enforcement officer and Special Agent for the United States Secret Service will share his family’s story regarding their experience with PTSD and brain health before the golf event. Special thanks to Laurie Baker, Executive Director of the Infinite Hero Foundation, Michelle Totte and Michael Petrelli with The Club at Ravenna who spend countless hours planning the event. Sincerely,
Kevin and Dawn Collins, Co-Chairmen/Event Hosts
SCHEDULE of EVENTS THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018
PANEL DISCUSSION ON BRAIN HEALTH 4-6 pm – BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY (2920 Brewery Ln, Littleton, CO)
DR. ANN MCKEE, a Neuropathologist and expert in Neurodegenerative Disease at New England Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VISN-1) and is Professor of Neurology and Pathology at Boston University School of Medicine LT. MORGAN LUTTRELL, USN (ret); Senior Advisor of Veteran Relations at Department of Energy Panelist CONNOR MARTIN, brother of legacy brain donor SGT. KEVIN ASH Moderated by DR. JAMES KELLY, Executive Director, Marcus Institute for Brain Health
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2018 4:30 pm – CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ICE CREAM SOCIAL in the Clubhouse
V.I.S.I.T. DINNER 7 pm – private residence in Ravenna Invitation only for Sacrifice and Patriotism Sponsors
SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018
INFINITE HERO GALA - “AN EVENING OF STORIES” 5 pm – VIP Reception 5:30 pm – Registration opens 6:15 pm – Guests seated for dinner National Anthem performed by NEW NORTH
GEOFF and KENDALL BAILEY, Co-Chairmen Sponsorship Committee
WELCOME REMARKS
KEVIN and DAWN COLLINS, Event Co-Chairmen/Hosts and Sacrifice Sponsor Invocation - PASTOR BRAD DOTY WOODY HOWARTH, Sacrifice Sponsor JASON REDMAN, Combat Wounded Coalition ALEXANDER OLIVER, Virginia High Performance MARY DAGUE, Overcome Academy graduate COLIN BADEN, Infinite Hero Board President iBot demonstration with CW05 GARY LINFOOT, US Army (ret)
7:15pm – Veterans and military families released to buffet NEW NORTH performance 8:15pm – Dinner service concludes NEIL DUNCAN, US Army (ret) Medal of Honor Recipient SAL GIUNTA Medal of Honor Recipient SAMMY L. DAVIS TROY and SONDRA REISNER, Sacrifice Sponsor Live Auction – LAURIE BAKER and JACK BECKMAN KEITH HARKIN and JACK TEMPCHIN performances 10:00pm – Evening concludes
MONDAY, JULY 23, 2018
5TH ANNUAL RAVENNA INVITATIONAL 8:00am – Registration opens/course available for warm up 9:15am – Opening ceremony and special address by FRANK LARKIN, USN (Ret); 40th Sergeant at Arms, US Senate 10:00am – Shotgun Start 3:15pm – Awards and reception
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SAC R I F I C E SPONSORS
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PAT R IOT ISM & I N T EGR I T Y SPONSORS
INTEGRITY
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COU R AGE & COM M I T M EN T SPONSORS
The Schossow Family COMMITMENT
The Talley Family
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CI T I Z ENSHIP SPONSORS & SPECI A L T H A N K S
Dana Meacham Greg and Karen Jones Foundation ®
Craig Manseth
Bath, Kitchen, & Lighting Gallery
SPECIAL THANKS TO VENDORS
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HISTORY OF THE EVENT
2014 With the goal of raising funds and awareness for our military heroes and their families, THE INAUGURAL RAVENNA INVITATIONAL kicked off in JULY 2014 featuring KEYNOTE SPEAKER LT. GEN. JERRY BOYKIN. In total, the event raised nearly $100,000 for the Infinite Hero Foundation. The 2015 event continued to grow on the momentum of the year before with two notable guests: Two-time Masters Champion and PGA TOUR star BUBBA WATSON and MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT SALVATORE GIUNTA. Watson conducted a golf clinic prior to the tournament and after golf, he, Giunta and the event’s co-chairman, former Army paratrooper and Ravenna club member Neil Duncan held an inspiring fireside chat.
2015
The event expanded in JULY 2016 with the 3rd Annual Ravenna Invitational as a SUNDAY “TAILGATE FOR THE TROOPS” BBQ was added. Following the BBQ, long drive champ and trick shot extraordinaire DAN BOEVER conducted an awe-inspiring exhibition on the driving range, only to be topped by a postgolf fireside chat with J.R. MARTINEZ and JASON REDMAN.
2016
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THE 2017 EVENT raised more than $400,000 for the foundation, making it the biggest and best in the event’s history leading up to this year. A Saturday evening V.I.S.I.T. DINNER provided an exclusive opportunity for military heroes and executives from like-minded organizations to engage about the progress being made in funding innovative solutions in brain health, bionics, virtual reality and more. During the Sunday evening dinner, attendees enjoyed inspirational stories from WWII VETERAN BILL HALIGAS, GARY LINFOOT, DANIEL CASARA and more. Following golf on Monday, BRANDON YOUNG moderated a discussion on RECOVERY with MORGAN LUTTRELL and ALEX OLIVER. 5 TH ANNUAL RAVENNA INVITATIONAL
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IN LOVING MEMORY
William James Haligas May 2, 1926 – February 15, 2018 OUR COUNTRY lost a valuable member of
the greatest generation and a proud Veteran of WWII with the passing of William (aka “Wild Bill”) J. Haligas. Those in attendance at last year’s Ravenna Invitational were thrilled and impacted by the stories that Bill shared on the Sunday evening dinner. Born in Elgin, Illinois on May 2, 1926 he enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and was assigned to the U.S.S. Maryland BB 46 as a seaman 1st Class from March 1944 until October 1945. He was on occupation duty on Okinawa from Sept 1945 thru March 1946.
He participated in six major engagements including Saipan, Palau, Leyte, the sea battle of Suragao Straits and Okinawa. He survived three major battles including a Kamikaze attack and a torpedo attack while aboard the USS Maryland. He was discharged from service on April 1, 1946 was active in the USS Maryland Veterans Association for 20 years. Mr. Haligas was the ultimate entrepreneur beginning with his ownership of Bill’s Snack Shack in Palmer Lake, Colorado. In 1959, recognizing a need in the construction market he founded Dry Wall Supply, Inc., one of the first specialty drywall material wholesale
companies in the industry. In 1985, he helped found Gypsum Products, Inc. with his son, Larry and his son in law, Doug. Throughout his career he was recognized nationally as a leader and innovator having developed many of the methods and tools used for the delivery and installation of drywall materials still in use today. His service to his country and his career accomplishments were important to Bill but his greatest source of pride was his family. He was dedicated to his wife Betty Ann for 66 amazing years. He is survived by Betty, their three children Terrie (Doug), Lorie (Steve), Larry (Diane), eight grandchildren Brandon (Christine), Tyler (Chelsea), Jason, Kelley, Collin, Ryan, Adam and Lindsey and one great granddaughter, Hailey. A collection of mementos from Bill Haligas’ service time on display at last year’s Ravenna Invitational.
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INFINITE HERO FOUNDATION funds programs that drive innovation and accessibility of effective treatments for military heroes and their families dealing with service-related mental and physical injuries. WHAT IS A HERO? The heroes of today do not wear capes, masks or mechanized suits. Our heroes silently serve, provide aid around the world and defend the freedom and quality of life that all of us enjoy. They are proud of their service and rarely ask for anything in return. They walk among us, often carrying the scars of their sacrifice. OUR PLEDGE Infinite Hero’s pledge to those who have risked their lives is to reward their sacrifice and bravery with support that articulates our gratitude. We partner with like-minded organizations to provide access to innovative rehabilitation programs that address the unique needs of veterans and their families The measure of our impact is positive outcomes, not merely gestures. Like the heroes we serve, we refuse to shy away from a challenge. Where boundaries exist, we will plow through them. Where strategies and solutions have not yet been found, we will create them. We will marshal the resources of technology, community, medical research and mental health care to foster collaborative innovation and affect positive change for our heroes in need.
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I NF I N IT E H E RO FOU NDAT ION
SINCE ITS INCEPTION in 2012, Infinite Hero Foundation has granted more than $3.5 million to 21 different organizations. To accomplish this, IHF partners with veteran service organizations by offering funding to achieve two goals: ✚ DRIVE INNOVATIONS that accelerate rehabilitation and positive outcomes for military heroes and their families dealing with mental and physical injuries ✚
INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY of mental and physical health services for the military and veteran community
✚ After a thorough evaluation process, partner organizations receive IHF GRANTS TO HELP FUEL PROGRAMS that achieve the goals outlined above. Individuals are not eligible to apply for funding. Grants are determined once a year and range between $25,000 - $100,000 per program. ✚ IHF believes that a portion of the research and innovation it supports while focused on veterans - is important for the general public needing help with accidents, sports injuries, mental illness, etc. The foundation’s financial support helps DRIVE CRITICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT while empowering Veterans to play a critical role in the process. This will help build bridges between the veteran and civilian communities and pay greater dividends. The problems our veterans face are challenges we all share and can conquer together.
IHF GRANT RECIPIENTS
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE WE APPRECIATE YOUR SACRIFICES IN PROTECTING OUR COUNTRY’S FREEDOM
THURSDAY BR A I N H E A LT H PA N E L
ANN MCKEE, MD, is a Professor of Neurology and
MORGAN LUTTRELL LIEUTENANT (RET.) MORGAN LUTTRELL, U.S. NAVY. SENIOR ADVISOR FOR VETERAN RELATIONS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
U.S. Navy Lieutenant (Ret.) Morgan Luttrell completed more than 14 years of military service, multiple tours to Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations, and now serves in a new role as Senior Advisor for Veterans Relations at the Department of Energy. Luttrell first joined the Navy after graduating from Sam Houston State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. After eight years of enlisted service, Morgan became a commissioned officer and served nearly seven years with Naval Special Warfare and the SEAL teams, retiring as a Lieutenant in 2014. With multiple combat deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom under his belt, Morgan retired and joined the Brain Performance Institute and the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he has served as a research scientist while pursuing an advanced degree in applied cognition and neuroscience. His current focus is treating veterans and first responders in traumatic brain injury.
THE CONCUSSION Legacy Foundation’s My Legacy campaign raises awareness about the need for brain donation so that researchers can continue to advance our understanding of brain trauma and the disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). When athletes, celebrities, members of the military and citizens from all walks of life take the #MyLegacyPledge to donate their brain, they spark a discussion and encourage others to become involved. More pledges mean greater public awareness about concussions and CTE, and ensures a long-term supply of donors for this
Pathology at Boston University School of Medicine, Director of Neuropathology for VA Boston, and Director of the BU Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center. Dr. McKee is a board certified neurologist and neuropathologist whose initial career focused on Alzheimer’s disease and aging. Over the past 10 years, Dr. McKee has concentrated on the long-term effects of head trauma, including concussion, subconcussion and blast injury in contact sports athletes and military veterans, and the post-traumatic neurodegenerative disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Her work has shifted the prevailing paradigm of scientific thought regarding head trauma; she has demonstrated that “mild” head trauma, particularly repetitive mild head trauma, is not just an acute injury - it can provoke CTE, a persistent and progressive neurodegeneration that continues long after the exposure to trauma. McKee has published over 70% of the world’s cases of CTE ever reported and created the Veterans Affairs – Boston University – Concussion Legacy Foundation (VA-BU-CLF) brain bank, the world’s largest repository of brains from individuals exposed to traumatic brain injuries (> 580) and neuropathologically confirmed series of CTE (> 320). McKee completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin and her medical degree from the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. She completed her residency training in neurology at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital and in neuropathology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is Director of the Neuropathology Core and Associate Director for the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center (BUADC). McKee also directs the brain banks for the BUADC, Framingham Heart Study and Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium, which are all based at VA Boston. McKee has provided expert testimony to the Congress and Senate. She was recently named Bostonian of the Year by the Boston Globe and one of the 100 Most Influential People 2018 by Time magazine. important research program that is focused on developing a cure for CTE. People who have taken the #MyLegacyPledge include NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr., US soccer icon Brandi Chastain, US Congressman David Cicilline, Olympic hockey players Hayley Wickenheiser and Angela Ruggiero, and more than 3,500 others. On Friday, July 20th, a team of past and current NHRA drivers including team owner Don Schumacher, world champions Jack Beckman, Ron Capps, Antron Brown, Tony
DR. JAMES KELLY is the Executive Director of the
Marcus Institute for Brain Health and is currently Professor of Neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. His immediate past position was Director of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. As its founding Director, he led the creation of an innovative interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, who blended hightech diagnosis and treatment with complementary and alternative medical interventions in a holistic, integrative approach to the care of US military personnel with the combination of TBI and psychological conditions such as post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety. He is the author/ co-author of over 100 published medical articles, chapters, reports and abstracts and the recipient of numerous awards, honors, invited lectures and speaking engagements.
Schumacher, Matt Hagen along with Tommy Johnson Jr. and Leah Pritchett will take the brain pledge alongside dozens of veterans at a special reception hosted at Bandimere speedway during the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals to kick off a partnership with Infinite Hero called Project Enlist.
concussionfoundation.org
“Supporting those who serve our country and their families has always been a strong pillar of our philanthropic efforts here at Breckenridge Brewery. Infinite Hero has always held a special place in our hearts and we are so happy to host this organization and support this mission in any way we can.” 15
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K E Y NOT E SPE A K E R
Sammy L. Davis
MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, U.S. ARMY Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 4th Artillery, 9th Infantry Division
Sammy Davis took some ribbing in the Army because he shared a name with the famous entertainer. Much later, long after his military days were over, he would again gain some acclaim among his old comrades, this time as the “real” Forrest Gump. Davis enlisted in the Army directly out of high school in 1966. Volunteering for the artillery because his father had been an artilleryman in World War II, he was assigned to the 4th Artillery. Soon after completing training, he asked to be sent to Vietnam. Early on November 18, 1967, his unit of four guns and forty-two men was helicoptered into an area west of Cai Lay to set up a forward fire-support base—Firebase Cudgel—for the American 9th Infantry Division operating in the area. Shortly after midnight the next morning, Private First Class Davis’ Battery C came under heavy mortar attack. Simultaneously, an estimated fifteen hundred Vietcong soldiers launched an intense ground assault, failing to overrun the Americans only because a river separated the two forces. Davis’ squad was operating a 105 mm howitzer that fired eighteen thousand beehive darts in each shell. When he saw how close the enemy had come, Davis took over a machine gun and provided covering fire for his gun crew. But an enemy recoilless rifle round scored a direct hit on the howitzer, knocking the crew from the weapon and blowing Davis sideways into a foxhole. Sometime before dawn, as he lay unconscious, he was seriously wounded in the back and buttocks by a beehive round fired from an American weapon. When Davis regained consciousness, he was convinced that the heavily outnumbered Americans couldn’t survive the attack, so he decided to fire off at least one round from the damaged artillery piece before being overrun. He struggled to his feet, rammed a shell into the gun, and fired point-blank at the Vietcong who were advancing five deep directly in front of the weapon; the beehive round cut them down. An enemy mortar round exploded nearby, knocking Davis to the ground, but he got up and kept firing the howitzer. When there were no more rounds left, he fired a white phosphorus shell, and then the last round he had—a “propaganda shell” filled with leaflets. At this point, he heard yelling from the other side of the river and realized that GIs had been cut off there. Despite the fact that he could not swim due to his injuries, he got in the water and paddled across on an air mattress from the American camp. Scrambling up the bank, he found three wounded soldiers, one of them suffering from a head wound that looked fatal. He gave them all morphine and got the gravely wounded soldier back across the river where others pulled him to safety. Davis then went back for the other two wounded soldiers and pulled them onto the air mattress across the river to the firebase. He eventually made his way to an American howitzer crew and resumed the fight. While he was recovering in the hospital, Davis learned that he was going home. He petitioned General William Westmoreland to be allowed to stay with his unit. Permission was granted, although Davis was so hobbled by his wounds that he was made a cook. On Nov. 19, 1968, exactly one year and one day after the nightlong firefight at Cai Lay, Davis received the Medal of Honor from President Lyndon Johnson. Years later, footage of LBJ putting the medal around Davis’s neck appeared in the movie Forrest Gump (with Tom Hanks’ head substituted for Davis’), and Gump’s fictional Medal of Honor citation was loosely based on Davis’ real one. 5 TH ANNUAL RAVENNA INVITATIONAL
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SPECI A L GU E ST
Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT
Salvatore “Sal“ Augustine Giunta was born on January 21, 1985 in Clinton, Iowa. The oldest of three children of Steven—a medical equipment technician and Rosemary—a pre-school teacher, Giunta grew up in Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha, Iowa. At age 18, while working in a Subway sandwich shop, he decided to enlist and he joined the Army in November 2003. He attended Infantry One Station Unit Training and the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, before being assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy, on May 24, 2004. Promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant in 2009, Giunta completed two combat tours to Afghanistan totaling 27 months of deployment. On October 25, 2007, while conducting a patrol as team leader, Giunta and his team were navigating through the treacherous terrain of Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley when they were ambushed by a well-armed and well-coordinated insurgent force. While under heavy enemy fire, Giunta immediately sprinted towards cover and engaged the enemy. Seeing that his squad leader had fallen and believing that he had been injured, Giunta exposed himself to withering enemy fire and raced towards his squad leader, helped him to cover and administered medical aid. While administering first aid, enemy fire struck Giunta’s body armor and his secondary weapon. Without regard to the ongoing fire, Giunta engaged the enemy before prepping and throwing grenades, using the explosions for cover in order to conceal his position. Attempting to reach additional wounded fellow soldiers who were separated from the squad, Giunta and his team encountered a barrage of enemy fire that forced them to the ground. The team continued forward and upon reaching the wounded soldiers, Giunta realized that another soldier was still separated from the element. Giunta then advanced forward on his own initiative. As he crested the top of a hill, he observed two insurgents carrying away an American soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other. Upon reaching the wounded soldier, he began to provide medical aid, as his squad caught up and provided security. For his extraordinary gallantry, unrivalled courage and selfless leadership in action on October 25, 2007, Giunta was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a White House ceremony on November 16, 2010. Staff Sgt. Giunta was the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor for service in Iraq or Afghanistan, the first living service member to be awarded the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War and the eighth service member to receive the nation’s highest military decoration for valor in Iraq and Afghanistan. His other military decorations include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal w/oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, two Army Good Conduct Medals and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal to name a few. He retired from the Army in June 2011 and is the author of Living with Honor (2012). He currently resides in Colorado with his wife Jennifer Giunta and his daughter.
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FE ATUR ED SPE A K E R S
JASON REDMAN — LIEUTENANT (RET.) U.S. NAVY FOUNDER, COMBAT WOUNDED COALITION/WOUNDED WEAR FOUNDER/CEO SOF SPOKEN
Lieutenant Jason Redman joined the Navy on September 11, 1992 and spent eight years as an enlisted SEAL. As an enlisted SEAL Redman completed three deployments throughout Central and South America and spent two years as a training instructor before being selected for the Seaman to Admiral Commissioning program in 2000. He attended Old Dominion University graduating Summa Cum Laude in May 2004 completing his time with the Hampton Roads Naval ROTC as Student Battalion Commanding Office before he was commissioned as a Naval SEAL Officer. Over the next four years, Lieutenant Redman completed combat deployments in both Afghanistan and Iraq. On September 13, 2007, outside of Fallujah, Iraq, Lieutenant Redman’s
Assault Team came under heavy maching gun and small arms fire and he was severely wounded in the ensuing firefight. While recovering at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, Redman authored and hung a bright orange sign on his door, which became a statement and symbol for wounded warriors everywhere. Lieutenant Redman is the recipient of the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, the Purple Heart, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Combat Action Ribbons and the US Army Ranger tab along with numerous other personal and unit awards. Redman retired from the Navy in 2013 and founded the Combat Wounded Coalition/Wounded Wear, a Non-Profit organization which supports combat wounded warriors and families of the fallen. He currently acts as
the executive director of the organization and is also the founder and CEO of SOF Spoken, a speaking company which provides inspirational presentations on leadership, teamwork and overcoming adversity for businesses, first responders, sports teams and government organizations. In November of 2013, Redman published “The Trident: The Forging and Reforging of a Navy SEAL Leader.” His book details lessons learned in leadership and overcoming adversity throughout his SEAL career while also discussing his combat deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as his personal journey with his wife Erica and their three children. The Trident was selected in 2014 as part of the Chief of Naval Operation’s professional reading program.
ALEX OLIVER — FORMER NAVY SEAL OWNER/FOUNDER, VIRGINIA HIGH PERFORMANCE LLC
Alex Oliver is currently the Co-Owner/ Founder of Virginia High Performance LLC and a retired former Navy SEAL with over 21 years of operational experience. He began his career in the Navy 1993, becoming a SEAL in 1995, and retiring honorably in 2015. The last 15 years of service he spent at Naval Special Warfare Development Group, the pinnacle of US Special Forces, and was named SEAL of the Year for 2006. He completed numerous combat deployments and trained hundreds of other SEAL’s along the way and spent two years as the head instructor for the commands selection program. Through character assessments, evaluation reporting and physical readiness tests he selected trained and mentored the next generation of America’s most elite warrior athletes. 5 TH ANNUAL RAVENNA INVITATIONAL
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Just before retiring, Mr. Oliver opened Virginia High Performance LLC. The concept was to take what he learned as a SEAL and Senior Enlisted Department Head for the Human Performance Program to train and mentor youth athletics. The “No Fail Mission” program which evolved within VHP is helping mentally and physically injured veterans return to the point of health and capability they had prior to their injuries. Using science and holistic based research and modalities ranging from strength and conditioning, nutrition, speech pathology and sensory deprivation, VHP works on getting everyone off the prescription pain and sleep pills. Over 80 veterans have completed the program with a 90% success rate at the end of their 4 week program.
MARY DAGUE — U.S. ARMY EOD MEDICALLY RETIRED SERGEANT
Mary recently graduated from Class 001 of the Overcome Academy.
Mary Dague was raised in the small town of Superior, Montana. She loved the outdoors and playing sports and was an avid video gamer as a kid. In 2004, at 19 years old, Mary enlisted in the U.S. Army as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician. In 2006, she was assigned to the 707th Ordnance Company (EOD), in Fort Lewis, Washington. On January 1, 2007. She deployed with the 707th as a senior team member to Camp Liberty, Iraq. On November 4, 2007, after disarming an IED and removing most of the explosive hazard, Mary began packing it for transport. The device began to wobble and Mary tried to grab it, but it detonated removing both of her arms above the elbow. She was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal for her actions while deployed to Iraq. During her recovery at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, Mary became the picture of optimism in the voice of perseverance for other
soldiers in therapy. Her purpose there became to inspire and drive others to live greatly and overcome adversity. After completing rehabilitation Mary retired in 2010, and returned back to Fort Lewis, Washington to live near her brothers from her unit. She started college for forensics and forensic psychology and took a liking to writing. However, a year into her degree, Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer, and consequently had to take a sabbatical while she underwent treatment. Shortly after, she married her husband and the love of her life, James, also an EOD Technician in the U.S. Army. She continues to be an advocate for EOD, wounded troops, and veterans struggling to adapt to their new civilian lives. Mary has been in a couple movies, Range 15, and Not A War Story, and is the Vice President of Drinkin’ Bros. She and James currently run a Twitch channel, multiple social media pages, and a podcast for Drinkin’ Bros: Gaming and Nerds.
FRANK J. LARKIN — USN (RET.); 40th SERGEANT AT ARMS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE
Frank Larkin is the 40th United States Senate Sergeant at Arms. As chief law enforcement and executive officer of the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms (SAA) enforces rules of the Senate; provides a range of technical and administrative services to Senators in their Washington D.C., and state offices; and maintains security in the Capitol and Senate office buildings. Frank has been a member of the federal Senior Executive Service for more than 10 years, recently serving as both the Acting Director and the Vice Director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) within the Department of Defense. Frank served for more than two decades as a special agent in the United States Secret Service (USSS), retiring as the Deputy Assistant Director for Protective Research and the agency’s Chief Technology Officer. In the private sector, Frank was Director,
Program Management & Leadership, for the Raytheon Company, and more recently, worked at Lockheed Martin’s Defense & Intelligence Solutions responsible for providing operations and intelligence analysis support to the intelligence community. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Frank served as a special warfare operator in the Navy SEALs. After his Navy service, he was a uniformed patrol officer with the Norristown (PA) Police Department, a homicide detective with the Montgomery County (PA) District Attorney’s Office, and a Maryland State Trooper-Flight Paramedic. Frank holds a BA degree in criminal justice and a MS degree in public administration from Villanova University. He is the recipient of numerous awards, to include the USSS Valor award, the Department of the Army’s Exceptional Civilian Service award and the Superior Civilian Service award.
The Gala host will be “FAST” JACK BECKMAN, driver of the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing. Jack joined DSR in 2006 and won the 2012 NHRA Funny Car world championship, nine years after he became the Super Comp world champion in NHRA Sportsman competition. Beckman is a former sergeant in U.S. Air Force and was honorably discharged at age 21. He is also a cancer survivor and made his debut as a part-time Top Fuel dragster driver in 2005 after a winning battle against non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma The California native lives in Norco, Calif., with his wife Jenna and two children.
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ENTERTAINMENT
NEW NORTH NEW NORTH is a crossroads of musical influences, joining forces to encourage and uplift others with their music. NEW NORTH’s musical roots are undeniably country music, but you’ll hear a little bit of everything in their eclectic performances. Krista and Damien were two-thirds of the high energy country act THE FARM with longtime friend Nick Hoffman; scoring a hit with their debut single “Home Sweet Home.” Both road veterans and major label recording artists, Damien and Krista have toured extensively and have been able to perform across America and Canada, internationally in Australia and Europe, as well as for the Military stationed overseas. Having previously released an Acoustic EP, their full-length album is scheduled for release later this year. Their first single “MAMA” released May 2018. We are pleased to welcome flautist Michael Morton performing with New North at this event. newnorthmusic.com
JACK TEMPCHIN Famed songwriter JACK TEMPCHIN is known for penning some of the most durable tunes in American music for a variety of artists that includes the Eagles, George Jones, Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner, Glen Campbell, Emmylou Harris, Trisha Yearwood and many others. His two best known compositions, “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone”, are now synonymous with the Southern California Sound. Both songs are on ‘Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975’, awarded Best-Selling U.S. Album of the 20th Century by the RIAA. He’s performed live or toured with Ringo Starr, Jackson Browne, Chicago, Kenny Loggins, Dolly Parton among many others and his set list of hits guarantees a magic memorable evening of sing-alongs. His solo career includes his most recent album release, “One More Song”. jacktempchin.com
KEITH HARKIN Keith Harkin is an Irish singer songwriter and guitar playing minstrel who has been singing his way into the hearts of music lovers since the wee age of four. HIs musical talents have brought him across the world from the UK to Canada to Australia to America and back. During his time touring the States, he gained recognition from Grammy Award-winning Producer, David Foster, who then went on to sign Keith as one of his first artists to Verve Records. Keith released his first solo debut album with Foster and Verve Records, where they watched it soar to the number 1 spot on the Billboard charts. With his honey-thick voice, Keith takes you on journey that creeps into his heart strings. While working on his solo career, Keith also has continued to perform as a lead soloist in Celtic Thunder. His role in Celtic Thunder has brought him to write and record a number of his own songs as well as perform for a vast audience worldwide including President Obama and the first Lady and recording numerous PBS specials. When Keith isn’t touring or recording, you can catch him at the beach surfing or continuing the gypsy travel life from adventure to adventure, but always with a guitar nearby. keithharkin.com 5 TH ANNUAL RAVENNA INVITATIONAL
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FE ATUR ED GU E STS & V ET R A NS
CWO5 GARY LINFOOT U.S. Army (Ret.)
TIM JOHANNSEN U.S. Army (Ret.)
LATSEEN BENSON U.S. Army (Ret.)
NEIL DUNCAN U.S. Army (Ret.)
SERGEANT MAJOR JACK “RUSTY” STOTTLEMIRE U.S. Army (Ret.)
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JENNIFER BURCH USAF (Ret.)
RETIRED AIR FORCE PARARESCUEMAN CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT ROB DISNEY
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CHAR ACTER DEVELOPMENT PROGR AM
IN CONJUNCTION with this year’s Ravenna Invitational, a group of passionate volunteers from the Ravenna membership taught the Congressional Medal of Honor Character Development Program to the children of Ravenna. During the 5-week program, the children explored values such as courage, commitment, sacrifice, patriotism, integrity and citizenship through interactive lessons and engagement with adult members. These included learning our nation’s symbols, writing letters to our veterans, learning about our Medal of Honor recipients and much more. ON SATURDAY, the kids have an exclusive ice cream social with our special guest Medal of Honor Recipients and Veterans!
June 12th: The Pledge of Allegiance and Patriotism: Learning about Our Nations Symbols June 19th: Commitment through Perseverance June 26th: The Story of the Giving Tree: Sacrifice July 10th: Say What You’ll Do and Then Carry Through: Exploring Courage, Commitment, and Sacrifice July 17th: Citizenship: The Story of Sammy Davis A SPECIAL THANK YOU to Kendall Bailey, Christine Bush, Dawn Collins and Ed Wargin for their participation and vision for this program. For more information about the Medal of Honor program, visit themedalofhonor.com/character-development
Proudly serving Colorado’s Homebuilders for over 30 years! Custom Design | Landscape Installation | Grounds Maintenance
5 TH ANNUAL RAVENNA INVITATIONAL
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2200 Rifle St. Aurora, CO 80011 | 303.421.3100 | www.metcolandscape.com
SPECIAL AUCTION ITEM Available as part of the SILENT AUCTION, read the story of the SPIKE HAWK, made by Jack Stottlemire of RUSTICK KNIVES. Jack served 27 years as a US Marine, Army Paratrooper and Special Operations Soldier retiring as a Sergeant Major at Fort Bragg, NC. He uses military experience along with 14 combat tours to design what works and is practical in a hard use blade. See bidding instructions on the back of the program.
THIS SPIKE HAWK was forged from the steel of a 40mm M2A1 Bofors Cannon that was made by Pontiac Motor Division during WW2. It was involved in combat operations on an AC-130A gunship from 1970-1973 on the Ho Chi Minh Trial in Laos and Cambodia. It was also used during significant Troops In Contact fire support missions in Vietnam. It remained in service until 1994 when the AC-130A fleet retired. The breech ring was placed back into service on the AC-130U gunship in 1995 and flew significant missions during the Kosovo campaign in the late 1990s. It was used on an AC-130U gunship during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq until 2012 when it was deemed worn beyond repair and de-militarized. The polished end caps on the handle are made from recovered steel from the World Trade Center towers after the attack on Sept 11, 2001. This steel was given to the artist by Colonel Ashton Naylor (Special Forces Ret) who received it from Lieutenant General John F. Mulholland Jr. who was the Commander of Task Force Dagger, Joint Special Operations Task Force North during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The handle is Purple Heart hardwood and is wrapped with Italian leather with white stitching that he acquired 20 years ago while assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vicenza Italy. The colors of this Spike Hawk represent the colors of the Purple Heart Medal and the official colors of the Infinite Hero Foundation. JACK STOTTLEMIRE RUSTICK KNIVES DISABLED COMBAT VETERAN owned and operated
Leather handcrafted by Dave Puzon, disabled Army combat Veteran
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NOTES
NOTES
HOW TO BID REGISTER at BidPal.net/ravennainvitational or when checking in to the Gala. BIDDING WILL BE OPEN Monday, JULY 16th at 12pm and go THROUGH Monday, JULY 23rd at 12pm.
HOW TO BID IN THE SILENT AUCTION
After registering, click on the link within the text message you received and you will be logged in automatically. HOW DO I FIND ITEMS? You can find items by pressing any one of the buttons on the main menu, or by using the search bar to find a specific item or category. HOW DO I BID ON AN ITEM? 1) Find the item. 2) Select it.
3) Press Bid.
WHERE ARE THE ITEMS I BID ON? Items you have bid on can be found at: Menu > Your Activity
CAN BIDPAL AUTOMATICALLY BID FOR ME? After submitting a bid, you will be prompted to set a Max Bid. When you’ve been out bid, BidPal will automatically bid on your behalf up to the Max Bid amount you set using the bid increments provided. WAS I OUTBID? You’ll receive a text message when you’ve been outbid. Alternatively, navigate to Your Activity to check the status of your bids.
HOW TO MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION 1) After registering, click on the link within the text message you received 2) Select a donation amount or enter your own amount 3) Tap to confirm the donation amount
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