When we think of summer, there a lot of things that come to mind...pool parties, the beach, vacation and of course, BBQs.

What can be better than getting together with great people and great food to celebrate the summer months? Coming together to celebrate a great cause.

On Saturday, July 14, Active Valor held our first fundraising BBQ to raise money for our Valor Adventures program benefitting our veteran mentors and Gold Star Families. It was an amazing experience to have so many people from different backgrounds, different communities and different lifestyles to celebrate one mission.

Putting this together took a lot of work and a lot of assistance from our supporters. Thanks to the San Diego Chapter of the Safari Club International (SCI) who were our Legacy Sponsors for our event, we were able host a fun afternoon full of food, drinks and games for everyone who attended. SCI is an amazing organization that have protected hunters' rights and promoted wildlife conservation over the last 40 years. On top of all of that, we were also able to have over 50 donated items that were raffled off to all of our attendees. Some of those were to include a Henry AR-7 .22LR survival rifle from Gary Brennan, CA, a .22LR pistol from Virginia Duncan and a 40s&w M&P Shield from Cal Customs Gun Shop in Fallbrook, CA. With the generous donation from SCI and with all of our raffle items, we were able to raise $8,000 in support of our Valor Adventures program.

Our next adventure is right around the corner, taking place on Saturday, October 20th, 2018 where our Veteran mentors and their Gold Star children mentees will be putting their tactical team tactics to the test to escape the hordes of the walking dead in our exciting Zombie Hunt that will be happening at the Carlsbad Safety Training Center where Carlsbad PD, S.W.A.T. and Fire Departments train.

None of our adventures would be possible without the help of all the wonderful supporters who have followed our journey and have given our mission a place in their hearts. 100% of everything we raise from our fundraisers, online donations, apparel and patch sales, go directly towards making an impact in the lives of the veterans and Gold Star Families we serve. We thank everyone who has been a part of our mission and who continue to support our efforts in making a difference in our communities. A special thank you to Virginia Duncan and Gary Brennan for all of your hard work in helping us find donation items for our raffle and for helping us coordinate our BBQ, and to Aaron and Angie Hoye for manning the BBQ and cooking for all of our attendees and making sure our day went perfectly.