Philanthropy is as much a part of Mystery Ranch as the materials they use. To them, being a part of organizations who “give back” is just like the warp and weft of fabric working together, to make us all stronger.
MR is involved with multiple organizations, each focusing on a different aspect of their customer. Please visit www.mysteryranch.com/foundations-warp-and-weft to learn more about what they do.
The Altama x SSD x TD Limited Edition Maritime Assault Shoes released last Friday to raise funds for The Pararescue Foundation are half gone.
Wide sizes are mostly gone. Still instock are shoes in sizes, 7,8,9,9W,10,11,12,13.
For the full background, see the original story. For technical information and to order, visit www.tacticaldistributors.com.
$10 from every pair sold will be donated to The Pararescue Foundation.
Plano, TX (October, 2018) – Shadow Systems, a US-based manufacturer of Glock compatible firearms, parts, and accessories, is proud to announce the release of 5 Limited Edition Thin Blue Line Pistols, to support the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. 100% of the $1,500 purchase price of each limited edition pistol will be donated to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund or another law enforcement charity of the customer’s choice.
The Shadow Systems team is made up of former law enforcement officers and military veterans, and has been a supporter of military and law enforcement groups since the company’s founding. Considerations from using weapons in the field as LEOs and in military combat have been what fuels the engineering behind the Shadow Systems product line; the company has even created custom offerings at the request of law enforcement agencies.
The Thin Blue Line Limited Edition pistols were created to show pride for law enforcement and the company has decided to take that pride one step further by donating 100% of the purchase price of each pistol to a law enforcement charity.
“Our team has the utmost respect for our law enforcement community. We acknowledge how difficult their job is and are happy to have the opportunity to support their community with the release of this pistol. I am hopeful that our modest donation will find its way to provide some small relief to the families of those heroes who have fallen in the line of duty.”
– Trevor Roe, General Manager
The Thin Blue Line Pistol features the Optics Ready Window Cut Slide, which accomodates a Trijicon RMR or Holosun red dot optic. The window cut on the slide allows a blue-lined Threaded Fluted DLC Barrel to peek through. The Glock frame of the pistol has been modified with a hand-done Enhanced Traction stippled grip job featuring a double undercut, scalloping around the magazine button, and the addition of index pads to each side of the frame; these modifications allow the gun to sit more comfortably in the hand and provide enhanced controllability without feeling too rough to carry daily. Machined from hardened 17-4 stainless steel and coated in cutting edge hard-use DLC, the slide features aggressively raked front and rear serrations and precisely executed chamfers and radiuses throughout. The Thin Blue Line Pistol also features the Shadow Systems Elite Flat-Faced Aluminum Trigger, with a blue coating along with a tuned 4-4.5lb pull weight trigger pack.
Shadow Systems is a portfolio company of Catalyst Holdings. Visit www.shadowsystemscorp.com; engage on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShadowSystemsCorp; follow on Instagram at instagram.com/shadowsystemscorp.
Soldier Systems Daily has teamed up with Altama to introduce the limited edition Soldier Systems Classic version of the Maritime Assault Mid in Wolf Grey.
Last year, Soldier Systems Daily founder Eric Graves visited the Altama factory in Tennessee and was very impressed with the work being done there. He spoke with Original Footwear owner Kevin Cole about an idea he had been mulling over to raise money for military charities.
The concept of Soldier Systems Classics is simple. Combine old and new into a product which is branded with the Soldier Systems Classic logo. That could be an old design made from new materials or colors like Wolf Grey, or a new product with a heritage paint job like WWII Marine camouflage. Any funds raised by SSD are donated to a deserving charity.
Altama had just introduced the Maritime Assault Shoe which was designed by Eric’s old friend Dan Ellis. They reminded Eric of a modernized version of the sneaker inspired jungle shoes of World War Two and a deal was struck. Altama would introduce a new special color for the Maritime Assault Line and would manufacture 300 pair which included the Classics version of the SSD logo. Eric would select a deserving charity.
Eric is a retired US Air Force Intelligence Officer who served at the 21st & 23rd Special Tactics Squadrons as well as the 720th Special Tactics Group.
For the first Soldier Systems Classic fundraiser, he wanted to identify a charity which is very focused on the community it supports and is effective in delivery of support and services. He asked some of the men he had served with and they suggested The Pararescue Foundation, a 501(c)(3) Public Charity.
The Pararescue Foundation is the only entity dedicated to exclusively support US Air Force Pararescue and Combat Rescue Officer service members, veterans and their families.
Their mandate:
• Relieve the physical and psychological demands of service
• Provide tragedy, transition, and education assistance
• Honor the commitment and sacrifice of those who live by the motto: “That Others May Live”
Last but not least, SSD turned to Tactical Distributors to handle the sale of the shoes. 10% of the proceeds of the sale of these shoes will be donated to The Pararescue Foundation.
The shoes are limited to 300 pair. Once they are gone, they are gone forever.
Visit www.tacticaldistributors.com to learn more about the shoe and to order your own pair.
Dynamis Alliance’s motto is “Crush Everything” and they’ve decided to help go after cancer next.
This new t-shirt not only raises awareness, a portion of all proceeds of its sale will be donated to a charity of Dynamis’ choice to help others CRUSH CANCER.
dynamisalliance.com/blog/product-details/mens-crush-cancer-t-shirt
A friend of mine informed me of a family in need. Derek Baldwin retired from the Army but has been unable to work for many years due to repeated bouts with cancer. His family has cared from him throughout his illness. Unfortunately, cancer took him from us this past weekend, leaving his loved ones with a great deal of debt. His friends are working with a local SOF 501(c)3 charity Duskin & Stephens Foundation to raise money for his family to offset their debt. Please consider donating.
Derek Baldwin (Baldy) was an amazing unsung hero in the SOF Community. He died approx 0300 on Saturday the 29th of September 2018 due to liver cancer failure.
Baldy served in 2nd BN, 75th Ranger Regiment, then served on an SFODA in 10th SFG, and then later served under JSOC for many years. I personally have known him since 2005 when he was one of my Military Free Fall instructors. The man absolutely loved jumping out of airplanes.
In 2010 while I was visiting a friend in the hospital from an IED explosion, I happened to see the name Baldwin on the door next to my friends room. I asked the staff if his nickname was “Baldy”. Due to patient privacy I was told they couldn’t tell me anything. So I walked in and Baldy was laying there. Fresh out of surgery from Colon Cancer. We brought in an X-Box and lots of things for him to help pass the time. Eventually he got a clean bill of health.
Several years later, the cancer came back in the form of Liver Cancer. The doctors and staff from USSOCOM made sure that he had the best treatment. He underwent many years of treatments at some of the best hospitals. A lot of them experimental treatments. Throughout all of that, Baldy would call and check on his friends to see how they and their families were. Always asking to see if he could help.
Ultimately, Baldy went the extra mile in everything he did. Unfortunately, even the past couple of years he fought death on a daily basis. I wish I could tell you the impact this man had on our nation’s freedom. I simply can’t due to the nature of the work he did. While I was visiting with Baldy and his family during the last hours of his life, multiple high ranking commanders called to check on him from different places in the world.
While all of his wonderful character traits were amazing, he did fail to properly plan for his death. There is about $20k in debt, plus another $11K in funeral arrangements. There will be lawyer fees as well for the execution of his estate. I am targeting $50k to help his son Mike Baldwin cover some of this.
Mike and his family have been care-taking for Baldy for the past 6 years. He and his son (little Derek) are pictured here with Baldy. I think this is the perfect fitting picture. Whatever money is left after the bills are paid, will go into a trust fund for Little Derek.
Duskin & Stephens Foundation has worked closely with us during this time of need. They have graciously offered to help in this non-profit donation.
I can’t thank you enough for helping with this hero’s family.
CJ Sends
FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY – September 17, 2018 – The Spirit of Blue Foundation announced that it has awarded the Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder Memorial Safety Grant to the Kentucky State Police Foundation (KSPF) to outfit all 1,000 troopers and officers of the Kentucky State Police with lifesaving tourniquets inside of rugged duty belt cases. The KSP uniform policy was amended to include mandatory wear of the North American Rescue Gen7 C-A-T Tourniquet inside of an Eleven 10 RIGID TQ Case with High Gloss finish and Shirt Shield attachment as part of its official uniform. Both companies worked with Spirit of Blue to configure the product specifically for KSP. The grant was funded in large part by a strategic partnership with Law Enforcement United, along with contributions from Eleven 10, North American Rescue and Sportsmen Organized for Law Enforcement, along with a number of smaller private donations, and is valued at $83,970.
(left to right) Spirit of Blue Foundation Executive Director Ryan T. Smith and Bill Janson, president of Eleven 10, LLC presented a ceremonial check for tourniquets and cases to Brenda Tiffany, mother of fallen Trooper Cameron Ponder, Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rick Sanders and Sgt. Josh Lawson, commander of the KSP Public Affairs Branch.
The grant is named after KSP Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder, who was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 13, 2015. Trooper Ponder’s mother, Brenda Tiffany, was instrumental in the inception of this safety grant and was on hand at a special ceremony held at the Kentucky State Police Training Academy on September 13, 2018.
According to Tiffany, this memorial grant is a very fitting way to help remember her son on the third anniversary of his death. “This is the first time I have looked forward to Sept. 13th,” she said. “It’s such a positive contribution on his behalf.”
“On behalf of the Kentucky State Police, I would like to thank The Spirit of Blue Foundation for this very generous grant,” said KSP Commissioner Rick Sanders. “This grant will allow every officer to have immediate access to an effective tool which may save a life of an officer or citizen.”
Tourniquets are vital pieces of medical equipment that officers require on the road in the event of a traumatic injury to an extremity. When only precious minutes exist to treat such an injury, tourniquets are able to be applied individually or on a fellow officer to prevent excessive blood loss until that individual can be placed into medical care. As a secondary benefit, officers who carry a tourniquet are also able to use them to rescue a member of the community who may have experienced a similar type of injury.
“Tourniquets are quickly becoming one of our most granted pieces of equipment,” explained Ryan T. Smith, Executive Director of the Spirit of Blue Foundation. “The reason is because they are more affordable than most safety equipment and, sadly, officers need this type of lifesaving device more as threats to their lives, and others, become more prevalent.”
To date, Spirit of Blue has granted 2,196 tourniquets nationwide and five documented Community Saves have been made as a result.
Law Enforcement United (LEU), the grant’s sponsor, is an organization of 1,000 active and retired police officers who honor fallen officers and raise funds to assist charitable organizations that serve the law enforcement community. Each year members of the organization ride 250 miles or more into Washington, DC to participate in National Police Week events and carry flags in honor of each fallen officer which are given to the surviving families upon their arrival. Since its founding in 2009, LEU has raised over $5,750,000 for law enforcement causes.
Statistics released by the Officer Down Memorial Page show that 105 law enforcement officers have already lost their lives in 2018 – a 5% increase over the same period in the year previous. 40 of those deaths were firearm related, an 18% increase over the same period in 2017. The reality of these statistics, and the increasing number of underfunded law enforcement agencies across the country, fuel the Spirit of Blue safety grant initiative.
The Spirit of Blue Foundation actively encourages the public at large to honor and appreciate law enforcement officers who serve and protect our communities. By supporting the Spirit of Blue Foundation, the public can make an impact in the lives of law enforcement officers every day. To learn more about the Spirit of Blue, or make a donation, visit www.spiritofblue.org.
