Tag Archive for: WCC and Team Foster

150-mile “Capital to Capital” Bike Ride to Help Place Service Dogs with Veterans

/0 Comments/in /by

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Several dozen cyclists riding on behalf of nonprofit Team Foster, will put rubber to road for a 150-mile trek—Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.—to raise awareness and funds to help provide service dogs and other support for Veterans with visible and invisible wounds. 

Over 20 Veterans and service members die by suicide every day. Service dogs can have a profound impact on Veterans battling the wounds of war. Team Foster raises money to fight for the unmet needs of injured and disabled Veterans by bringing together civilians, Veterans and highly trained service dogs who are bred, trained and placed by nonprofit Warrior Canine Connection.  

Each of the riders has committed their time, training and are fundraising as a way to show support for Veterans who have served our country, many with personal connections and compelling stories to share. 

Media is welcome to attend both the start and finish segments of the race to learn more about these cyclists and Team Foster, nonprofit responsible for organizing the ride.

WHO:
Cyclists raising money to help provide Veterans with visible and invisible with highly trained service dogs and additional support

WHAT:
150-mile bike ride from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. to raise funds and awareness of Veterans’ needs

WHEN:
Saturday, April 29, 2023 – 7 a.m. departure 

WHERE:
Love Park
Arch Street, Philadelphia 19102 

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.

 

 

About Team Foster
Team Foster fights for the unmet needs of injured and disabled Veterans by bringing together civilians, Veterans and highly trained service dogs. 
We do this by: 

  • Helping Veterans obtain highly trained service dogs they need at no cost; 
  • Providing grants for the unmet needs of Veterans and their service dog; 
  • Ensuring Veteran service dogs receive the highest quality training; 
  • Promoting awareness of service-related PTSD and TBI and advocating for the long-term needs of our Veterans. 

Learn more at www.teamfoster.org.  

 

About Warrior Canine Connection
Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to empower returning combat Veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Based on the concept of Warriors helping Warriors, WCC’s therapeutic service dog training program is designed to mitigate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other challenges, while giving injured combat Veterans a sense of purpose, and help in reintegrating back into their families and communities. For more information, visit www.warriorcanineconnection.org.   

The Phillies’ New Service Pup-in-Training, Major, Makes His MLB Debut; Life’s Mission is to Help a Veteran with a Disability

/0 Comments/in /by

Partnership with Team Foster and Warrior Canine Connection brings a new service pup to the Phillies family, which will be trained and later placed with a veteran who has a disability

Earlier today, the Phillies partnered with Team Foster and Warrior Canine Connection to welcome Major, a new service pup-in-training, to the club’s off-the-field roster at Citizens Bank Park.

Dubbed Major after decorated veteran and former Phillies’ coach, scout, and goodwill ambassador Maje McDonnell, the 10-week-old puppy has been given an important mission: to become a specialized service dog so he can be placed with a veteran with a psychological or physical disability.

The new service pup initiative with Team Foster and Warrior Canine Connection was made possible through a Phillies Charities, Inc. grant, as well as an MLB 2023 Military Community grant.

“Phillies Charities, Inc. is proud to support the caring and training of Major as he works his way up the ranks from service pup to service dog,” said Phillies Director of Community and Charity Events Michele DeVicaris. “Thanks to Team Foster and Warrior Canine Connection, we know that Major is destined to bring joy, comfort and support to a very deserving veteran.”

A pure-bred black Labrador, Major will receive his service training through Warrior Canine Connection, a nonprofit organization that breeds, trains and places highly skilled service dogs with service members and veterans with visible and invisible wounds.

Major will spend two years in training with Warrior Canine Connection, where he will advance through a series of military ranks as he masters commands to support a future veteran with physical injuries and invisible wounds of war.

During this time, he will make various guest appearances at Phillies games, where he will meet fans and participate in military-themed and community events such as the team’s annual Salute to Veterans at Citizens Bank Park. His progress will also be followed on the team’s social media accounts.

When his mission of becoming a service dog is reached, Major will then be placed with a wounded veteran through Warrior Canine Connection with support from Team Foster, which has helped to connect over 400 veterans with service dogs to assist a vast array of injuries and disabilities, and whose motto is “No Hero Left Behind.”

“Having the Phillies support Team Foster is an invaluable asset in the fight for our veterans,” said Team Foster Founder and Executive Director Nick Liermann. “We are incredibly excited to showcase this service dog in training and share the journey of these life-saving canines with the Phillies community.”

“We are so honored and grateful to be working with the Phillies and Team Foster, which both have a history of providing unwavering support for our nation’s veterans, on this exciting, new puppy project,” said Warrior Canine Connection Founder and Executive Director Rick Yount. “The vital support of both organizations is making Major’s training possible, while at the same time, honoring the pup’s veteran namesake in such a meaningful way.”

Training service dogs for military members is therapy for veterans at Penn’s new program

/0 Comments/in /by

Dogs are bred specifically for the program and are mostly Labradors and golden retrievers — breeds smart and sturdy enough to help veterans with both mental and physical disabilities.

Curious passers-by often can’t help but peek into Jennifer Desher’s office on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus: On any given afternoon, she’s playing host to a handful of rambunctious puppies as young as nine weeks old. Read the full story from The Philadelphia Inquirer.