The Battle Buddies Ball: The 1st Annual Charlie Mike Gala Fundraiser
We just celebrated our 2nd anniversary. That’s huge! We are even more excited for what the next year will bring. One of the first things coming for Charlie Mike in 2025, will be our 1st Annual Gala Fundraiser, The Battle Buddies Ball.
Please join us on Thursday, March 13th, at the Carolina Club at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. We are excited for this milestone, and what it means for our organization, our programs, and the Veterans and First Responders that we serve.
This won't quite be a black tie formal event, but it is a good excuse to dress up... a little: cocktail attire will be appropriate. So yes, ladies you get to dress up as much as you'd like, and you get to pick out the outfits for your men, too. At least you can tell them to kick those sneakers to the curb for the evening, and change out of their jeans... maybe throw on a jacket or a tie, if you are feeling extra spiffy.
There will be dinner, live music, a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, a recap of where we’ve been for the first two years, and our plans and strategy for the future. This is a big freaking deal.
Battle Buddies are the dogs and horses in our program, and on this night, we want everyone to be our Battle Buddies. The reality is, that’s what we all are. This philosophy is how we create and develop our strategy and approach to everything we do at Charlie Mike: we cannot do it alone, and even though our military service is over, the “mission of life” continues. Just as we had each other’s back during our military service, we believe we can help each other now, better than anyone else. We are each other’s Battle Buddy. Yes, we are our brother’s keeper.
We know that we could not have gotten this far, or made any of the progress over the first two years we have in serving Veterans and our community, without the hard work, support, and financial contributions of so many people. This evening will be to recognize everyone involved, tell the story, and we want to share it with as many people as possible.
Up until now, we’ve rescued 51 dogs, and placed 49 of them as Canine Battle Buddies, with two more currently in training looking for their Veteran or First Responder family. We’ve conducted hundreds of training and contact hours in our Equine Training + Riding Program, and helped dozens of Veterans and First Responders find peace through that interaction. In the Fall of 2024, we responded to our first natural disaster, and conducted our first relief effort, finally launching the third and final pillar of Charlie Mike, helping our community in Western North Carolina after the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
This mission is not over. There is so much to do. Over 44 Veterans die by suicide every day, double the number that has been shared for years. Veteran and First Responder suicide are on the rise, and this is something that simply cannot be ignored. Charlie Mike programs are all geared towards creating purpose, healing, and a path of stability in the lives of those we serve. This approach has made a huge difference in many lives, and we plan to make a difference in many more lives to come.
Please join our mission. Your support this night will allow us to meet our goals in 2025, and serve dozens, even hundreds more people in the future. And at the same time, also rescuing more dogs, offering more interaction with our amazing horses, and serving our community when disaster strikes.
We thank you, and hope to see you at our Battle Buddies Ball.
Table sponsorships are also available. For more details, please email: info@charliemike.org
*Charlie Mike is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. All donations are tax deductible.
