2018 brought many firsts for us as a company, but one of the things at the top of our list was the introduction of our “Gold Star Spouse” Exclusive Events. For our first debut, we chose something that is extremely important to everyone at Active Valor: family.
Many of our Gold Star Spouses remain courageously within the role of sole provider—provider of safety, comfort and everything else in the long list of needs from a young family. Being put into the “protector and defender” role is a daunting prospect, especially when you have never needed that title or skillset before. What better way to bolster these women’s skillsets regarding safety and protection than to hold a Range Day for them? Nearly 90% of the attending women had never held a gun before, much less knew the “ins” and “outs” of firearm safety, so we called in some experts.
Two powerhouses in the tactical industry, Bree Warner from Tactigal NYC and Amy Robbins from Alexo Athletica, flew out from across the country to participate in our Gold Star Spouse Range Day. Bree Warner, who was widowed six years ago herself, is a strong 2nd Amendment advocate, Law Enforcement Officer in the New York Area, firearms instructor, and accomplished producer and actor. She offered one of the most comprehensive and frankly touching firearms courses we have ever attended.
“After my husband died, life changed dramatically. So when that happened, I thought, ‘I’m going to find a purpose for this. Whatever pain I’m feeling, I’m going to push past it and I’m going to create a purpose for this.’ I felt like I was now in charge of my own protection and it was important for me to figure out how am I going to empower myself. I don’t want to be a victim, and I want to have strength. And from that, came knowledge.”
Bree’s expert instruction led these women, who had no prior firearms knowledge, to know how firearms worked, the mechanics behind it, the differences between unique types and styles, and gave them each a piece of insight regarding safety and protection for their families.
When they were ready to hit the range, Amy Robbins, the CEO and founder of Alexo Athletica outfitted each of our Gold Star Spouses in their Signature Pant and Trench Coat. Now, if you’re not familiar with Alexo Athletica, you’re not going to want to miss this!
Alexo Athletica is a company dedicated to empowering women and giving them the proper tools to stay safe (while looking fabulous, we might add). Alexo, which means “to defend and help,” creates active wear specifically designed to allow women to protect themselves, without sacrificing comfort or safety. They can train, run, skip, hop and jump (and whatever else you do in active wear) all while completely concealing whatever personal defensive weapon they want to carry. Each clothing piece comes with a varied amount of concealed pockets that can safely and securely hold items to keep women safe—whether it be pepper spray, knives or even firearms. The best part? You’d never know it. The sleek lines in their leggings gracefully compliment any body shape, and the compression almost magically hides the shape of an object placed in any one of its 9 pockets.
If we could choose a word for this event, it would probably be determination. These women were determined to face their fears head-on and overcome whatever obstacles necessary to protect themselves and their families. These women showed more grit and tenacity than one would typically see in a lifetime. Having women teach women provoked deep conversations, dispelled many insecurities and strengthened the core of their foundation as a group. We are so thankful to have such strong, powerful and compassionate leaders within this community.
To Bree and Amy, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your giving attitudes and powerful influence at this event. We also want to especially recognize Sig Sauer for donating firearms for our Gold Star Spouses to learn on, giving us the ability to hold this event and empower our surviving spouses on such a personal level.
We want to thank 3M/Peltor for donating Ear pro for all of our attendees, and RDL Tactical, Gunfighter Tactical, Cal Customs Gunshop, Breakthrough Cleaning Technologies, Beebe Family Arms & Munitions, The Gun Range, and Discount Gun Mart for donating ammo for this event. We also wanted to extend a special thank you to the San Diego County Gun Owners for providing lunch and to the incredible San Diego Sheriff Department for letting us use their private range.
We truly couldn’t put on these events without the immense generosity and support that is shown through these companies. We feel so incredibly blessed to be a part of a community that not only cares, but takes action towards supporting the Gold Star and Veteran communities.
Thank you all for becoming the impact.