A MESSAGE FROM VIP 21 – COLUMBUS:
It has been an honor and a privilege to be apart of this incredible journey through VIP 21. Not only has it been transformational for the lives of each and every student on our team, we also got to make a truly inspirational impact on the lives of our Ohio Veterans and their families. We chose to support Veteran Companion Animal Services, a non-profit organization whose noble mission is to rescue shelter dogs, train them as companion animals and place them in the homes of military veterans. They are dedicated to enriching the lives of veterans, military families, and dogs through the ancient and sacred bond between man and dog.
With the intention of creating love, freedom, and transformation, our team rallied together to help VCAS further their mission of enriching our Veterans’ lives. As our team came together in action and the more we learned about this organization, the stronger our vision became. VCAS’s mission and vision became our own. Military veterans and their families have served and sacrificed much and, through our efforts, we were able to serve and support them in return.
With a team of only 43 individuals, we boldly declared to raise $100,000 in 25 days for VCAS. We immediately set out on the objective and reached out to friends, family and local businesses to support the cause. Our mission reached from coast to coast and even beyond the United States itself in our search for support. Not only did we reach our goal, we exceeded it, raising a total of $118,453 for VCAS.
We organised and hosted a Freedom Festival community event which raised over $8,000. At the event we provided food, music, activities, games, speakers, and live dog-training demonstrations. We served over 150 members of the community and neighbors at the event.
“The contributions that the Next Level Trainings team has created for us is truly astounding. We are able to provide over 100 veterans with the gift of a companion dog for a year, all expenses covered,” says VCAS President Dr. Heather Lane. “It is an absolute honor to have VCAS chosen for this unexpected and enormously beneficial gift to veterans in Columbus.”
We are ecstatic about our results and still in awe of the impact we have made in such a short period of time. It is truly amazing what can happen when a team bands together to achieve a goal the changes the world forever.
From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank everyone who contributed to our campaign and supported us along the way. Thank you to Next Level Trainings’ leadership, coaches, and graduates, and the many donors from all walks of our lives. We are truly grateful for the lessons we have learned and the connections we have created not only within our team but out in the world. Most of all we thank our Veterans for their strength and courage, we honor your sacrifices, and we offer our deepest love and compassion.