Gratitude Initiative Receives $25,000 Donation from Sport Clips Haircuts
to Help Children of Fallen Military Members

Bryan, Texas (May 24, 2017) – Gratitude Initiative (GI), a non-profit that provides essential education programs and college scholarships to the children of our active duty military, veterans, disabled vets, and those killed in defense of our country, has received a $25,000 donation from Sport Clips Haircuts to provide college preparatory and tutoring programs to children whose parents paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

Gratitude Initiative was started in 2013 by Lee Sechrist, a former Army officer and disabled veteran, and is the only non-profit of its type providing comprehensive college preparatory and tutoring programs. GI supports students from 8th grade through college graduation with the tools and programs proven to put young people on the path to educational and career success and are completely FREE to the families they serve.

Gratitude Initiative’s main strategies are to:

1. Provide essential college planning and academic support services, free of charge, to help military and veteran children achieve their educational and career goals.
2. Award college scholarships to qualifying students participating in our program to attend college or technical school.
3. Raise awareness of the challenges brought on by having a mother or father deployed overseas for military service or dealing with the disability or death of a parent due to military service.

“Since 9/11, 51,000 children have parents who have been wounded or killed and that number continues to grow,” says Sechrist. “Over 16 years of fighting has taken an incredible toll on our military families, the children in particular. The statistics are staggering when you look at what these children go through and the struggles they have academically. We want to help put them on a path to succeed and triumph through what is already a challenging time in their lives.”

GI serves families around the globe and partners with numerous organizations that provide services to Gold Star Children in support of families who have had a service member killed in defense of our country. GI quickly comes alongside the surviving spouse and child to walk every step of the way through high school to college transition process, immediately helping to reduce stress on the family.

Sport Clips is no stranger to supporting military organizations and their families. Prior to founding Sport Clips, CEO Gordon Logan served as an aircraft commander in the U.S. Air Force, so this donation to Gratitude Initiative holds special meaning for him. “Sport Clips is focused on providing ‘haircuts with heart,’ and one of the key ways we meet that objective is through on-going support of our nation’s military,” he says. “More than one million children in the United States have had parents deploy one or more times since 9/11. Supporting Gratitude Initiative to help these young people with their education will benefit them in reaching their academic goals, and we’re proud to be a part of this good work.”

“Mr. Logan, a veteran himself, knows intimately what these families endure,” said Sechrist. “This donation from Sport Clips is invaluable to families who have given so much of themselves to protect our country and our freedom. There is no greater way to honor their sacrifice than to help prepare their kids for college.”

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About Gratitude Initiative

Gratitude Initiative (GI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides essential education programs and college scholarships to the children of our active duty military, veterans, disabled vets, and those killed in defense of our country. GI serves families around the globe providing students from 8th grade through college graduation with the tools and programs proven to put young people on the path to educational and career success. For more information about Gratitude Initiative, please visit www.gratitudeinitiative.org.

About Sport Clips Haircuts

Sport Clips Haircuts is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas. ItEntrepreneur Magazine as one of the “Fastest-Growing Franchises” and in the top 10 in its “Franchise 500.” There are more than 1,600 Sport Clips stores open in the U.S. and Canada. Sport Clips is the “Official Haircutter” of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), offers veterans preferential pricing on haircuts and franchises, and was named a “2016 Best for Vets: Franchises” by Military Times. Sport Clips provides “haircuts with heart” through its annual Help A Hero fundraiser that has given $5 million to the VFW; national partnership with St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants; and other national and local philanthropic outreach. Sport Clips is a proud sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing’s NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin and Furniture Row Racing’s Erik Jones, and partners with numerous NCAA and professional sports teams. To learn more about Sport Clips, visit sportclips.com.

Gratitude Initiative (GI) is pleased to announce that we have been selected to be a 2017 Non-Profit Partner of Carry The Load (CTL) for the third year in a row.

GI’s founder, Lee Sechrist, says, “GI is honored to be selected as a Carry The Load Non-Profit Partner. They’ve helped us become a positive influence in the lives of military and veteran families around the globe. Carry The Load became an early supporter of Gratitude Initiative. Thanks to the exposure we have received through their events and the generous financial support they have provided, we have been able to expand our reach to military and veteran families much faster than we ever anticipated. We are making a positive impact on the lives of military and veteran kids around the world because of Carry The Load and we are grateful for their continued partnership.”

Carry The Load is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to provide an active way to honor and celebrate our nation’s heroes by connecting Americans to the sacrifices made by Military, Law Enforcement, Firefighters and First Responders.

What started as a mission to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day has broadened to include more than just our military heroes and more than just one holiday. Carry The Load works to bring all Americans together to participate in honoring our nation’s heroes every day.

There will be two national relays again this year to raise awareness and funds. The West Coast Relay starts on April 28th in Seattle, the East Coast Relay starts on April 30th in Boston, and both routes end in Dallas on May 28th at Reverchon Park. Check the CTL website for rallies along each of the routes and be sure to join us at the park on May 28-29th for a huge family friendly event honoring our heroes.

To get involved in Carry The Load’s mission, join a team, or make a donation, please go their website, www.carrytheload.org. You can also follow them on Facebook, and on Twitter or Instagram @CarryTheLoad. Who will you carry?

In honor of Military Family Appreciation Month, Gratitude Initiative (GI) is now enrolling the first students in our College Success Academy. The programs are completely free to qualified children of military and veteran families, providing college and career counseling, SAT & ACT Test Prep, and tutoring for math and science. The programs are delivered online, providing students and their parents access to a their own team of live, degreed counselors and tutors to support them wherever they are stationed around the globe.

Students in 8th – 11th grade are eligible to apply for the program if they have a parent who meets one of the following criteria:

• Active duty member of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard
• Veteran honorably discharged from active duty on or after 9/11/2001
• Reserve or National Guard member who was activated for active duty service since 9/11/2001 and was deployed to a combat zone
• A combat wounded or disabled veteran with a service connected injury that occurred on or after 9/11/2001
• A service member killed on active duty

Students and families can learn more and apply online. The number of students enrolled each year is limited based on available funding and the number of qualified applicants.

Individuals and corporations interested in supporting the program and expanding GI’s support for military families may donate online or contact us for additional partnership information.

GI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to provide educational support and college scholarships to the children and families of military service members, veterans, disabled veterans, and those killed in defense of our country.

On October 13 and 14, Gratitude Initiative will be among a select group of charities participating in The Halliburton Charity Golf Tournament, an annual event that has contributed nearly $11 million to non-profit organizations that strengthen our communities and improve the lives of those in need.

This year, Halliburton and their generous sponsors have raised $3 million dollars to support this year’s charities. Proceeds from the Halliburton Charity Golf Tournament benefit a select number of charities that plan to make a significant impact through a major capital expenditure or a special community program.

Gratitude Initiative is honored to be among the charities selected and is grateful to Halliburton’s many partners who make this generous support possible.

Carry The Load announced Saturday at the Bell Helicopter Fort Worth Alliance Air Show gifts totaling $1,170,000 in 2015 to 17 local and national non-profits who provide direct services to military, law enforcement, firefighters and rescue personnel. The donations will support each organization’s mission to help military and first responders.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) September 14, 2015

Carry The Load announced Saturday at the Bell Helicopter Fort Worth Alliance Air Show gifts totaling $1,170,000 in 2015 to 17 local and national non-profits who provide direct services to military, law enforcement, firefighters and rescue personnel. The donations will support each organization’s mission to help military and first responders.

The Carry The Load 2015 nonprofit partners include:

Adaptive Training Foundation
Assist the Officer
Attitudes & Attire
Austin Street Shelter
Building Homes for Heroes
Center for Brain Health
Comfort Crew
Equest: Hooves for Heroes
Gratitude Initiative
Heroes on the Water
Lt. Todd W Krodle Memorial Foundation
Legacies Alive, Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation
Serve Who Serve
Sons of the Flag
Snowball Express
Team RWB
Tip of the Spear

“We are proud to support these great organizations in their efforts to help Americans remember the sacrifices of our fallen service members and encourage families and friends to be triumphant in a time of need,” said Stephen Holley, co-founder of Carry The Load.

Former Navy SEALs, Clint Bruce and Holley started Carry The Load out of anger and a belief that the nation did not care about the sacrifices of Veterans. The mission of Carry The Load is to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day. The organization provides an interactive way for individuals to engage and show their support to military, law enforcement, firefighters and rescue personnel.

“After 5 years, thousands of supporters and millions of dollars raised, it has become obvious that people do care,” said Debbie Wright, executive director of Carry The Load. “That’s why in 2016 we are expanding the National Relay to include a West Coast route in addition to the East Coast. It will all culminate in Dallas on Memorial Day.”

Visit CarryTheLoad.org for information on becoming a corporate sponsor, joining the relay, making a donation, and volunteering. Follow Carry the Load on Facebook, Twitter (@CarryTheLoad) and Instagram.

About the Carry The Load

Carry The Load is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by two former Navy SEALs. Carry The Load’s mission is to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day by remembering, honoring and celebrating the sacrifices made on our behalf by America’s military, law enforcement, fire and rescue personnel, as well as their families. Funds raised for Carry The Load are used to further increase the number of cities participating in its Memorial May activities, and are also gifted to nonprofit partners who support and benefit America’s Military, First Responders and their families. For more information, go to CarryTheLoad.org.

On January 27, Texas State Representative John Raney of District 14 and Texas Senator Charles Schwertner of District 5 honored military families with resolutions in the Texas House and Senate respectively. The resolutions declared January 27, 2015, as Gratitude Initiative/GI Kids Day in Texas, and 80 military men, women, spouses and children were there in Austin to be recognized. The resolutions encouraged the citizens of Texas to honor our military families and children for their personal sacrifice and service to our nation and state.

After being recognized in the House and Senate Chambers, GI Kids Day participants enjoyed lunch in the Capitol Grill, private tours of the State Capitol and family activities at the Capitol Visitors Center. Since the events of September 11, 2001, millions of active duty military, National Guard, and reserve unit troops have served in combat zones, and over three million family members, including more than one million children, have been left at home. Today, over two million children have a parent on active duty. Gratitude Initiative / GI Kids Day helped raise awareness of the needs of military families in Texas, throughout the nation and around the world.

Long-term separation from parents serving in a combat zone, frequent moves and post-deployment challenges take an enormous toll on military children and spouses who proudly serve alongside America’s service men and women. Gratitude Initiative works to honor the service and sacrifice of military and veteran families by providing academic support programming to ensure success in college and in life.

Families traveled to Austin from communities around the state, traveling as much as 5 hours one-way to take part in the day’s events. Each of the participants wore a GI Kids Day 2014 t-shirt, creating a sea of white and the House and Senate Galleries as the group was honored by the Texas Legislature.

“We’d like to thank C.C. Creations for their support of our efforts in supporting military families,” says Gratitude Initiative Executive Director Lee Sechrist. “The College Station based company played a huge role in sponsoring the apparel for the historic day and helped our group stand out to be recognized throughout the day.”