11 Years of Impact - 11 Strong

A year ago today the Founder and CEO of Oscar Mike, Noah Currier, welcomed me to the OM family. And I welcomed the opportunity to serve the organization he built from the ground up — one he started in his parents’ garage, seven years after suffering a catastrophic injury in a car accident outside the gates of Camp Pendleton.?

In that accident — just three days after returning from a combat tour in Iraq and less than 24 hours before going home to spend time with his family and friends.on extended leave — Noah broke his neck.??

Noah has taught me a lot over the past year. He made me realize there are people out there who actually do dream bigger than me. The truth is: Noah has also been a great source of inspiration. As I stepped away from a nonprofit that I loved and helped build, he gave me an opportunity to stay “on the move” and keep one of the most important things in life — a sense of purpose.?

Reaching a “Tipping Point”

A year later, Oscar Mike continues to grow exponentially, and sits at an exciting inflection point — a moment in time my friend and colleague, Paul Cucinotta, describes as a “tipping point.”??

Looking back to the first clinic I attended last August, I’m not surprised Oscar Mike is poised to make a greater impact as a “David” among Goliaths in a very crowded military and veteran nonprofit space.? It was inevitable because it is a nonprofit built for Veterans by Veterans.?

Great things are happening every day at Oscar Mike. In addition to the dozens of adaptive clinics and events at their HQ in Illinois, Noah and his team recently acquired a 100-acre “dream” property that will allow them to scale operations and impact, while fielding a second location in Estes Park, Colorado.?

Teaching a Vet to Fish?

This past weekend I stumbled across these photos on social media. When I see the smiles on the faces of Veterans at the first clinic there and think of their life-changing experiences in Rocky Mountain National Park, I am reminded of this adage:

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

These words ring true at a time when too many nonprofits and Veteran Service Organizations are focused on “giving a Vet a fish” — eliciting sympathy and pity to raise billions of dollars and provide resources to “feed a Vet for a day.”

While I understand these services must continue, government agencies and the giving community as a whole must put more time, energy and resources into organizations like Oscar Mike — nonprofits that “teach Veterans to fish” and give them the tools they need to thrive with dignity, meaning, and purpose.?

Time, Talent, and Treasure?

Corporate partners are starting to realize that in teaching Veterans to fish and getting them “on the move” through adaptive sports and other activities, Oscar Mike is impacting them for a lifetime.?

Companies are stepping up donating their time, talent, and treasure. Here are just a few examples:?

• 谷歌 gifted Oscar Mike 2,500 Nest Systems that will help keep the OM family of Veterans connected through technology in between events where they can meet and build their community. Orion Talent adopted Oscar Mike as its nonprofit of choice and is working creatively with Noah to find employment opportunities for Veterans who once thought they would never work again.? First Nation Group helped launch the Independence Campaign with a $100,000 matching gift for Veterans Day last year.Car Donation Foundation has donated more than $500,000 over the past year through its VEHICLES FOR VETERANS program.?
• And companies like 星巴克 , 亚马逊 , and Intuit are giving back to both Oscar Mike and their owbn team members by purchasing custom designed T-shirts for their employee resource groups.?

Building on this momentum and growing corporate support, the time is now for every American to get “on the move” with Noah and Oscar Mike, and the call to action is simple.?

11 Strong?

On 11/11/11 Noah founded Oscar Mike. Since that day he and a growing army of volunteers has helped more than 1,100 Veterans realize they could accomplish anything they put their minds to, as long as they get and stay “on the move.”??

Noah not only taught 1,100 Veterans to fish over the past 11 years. He taught people like me and Paul Cucinotta to be better fishermen, too, so we can do the same.?

On Veterans Day this year, 11/11/22, I am asking you to join this movement and help Oscar Mike celebrate its 11th anniversary by guaranteeing they can continue their mission for the next 11 years to come.?

Not suprisingly Noah has a BHAG of securing 111,111 individual supporters by the 11/the anniversary of Osscar Mike on 11/11/21 If we reach that goal, Noah’s vision for a new adaptive sports facility and a new barracks that will be “home” to thousands more Veterans will be realized.