OUR ORIGIN STORY

In 2008, our Executive Director Amanda started working with another non-profit organization supporting veterans. She did a lot of work at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and Eric regularly volunteered there to help her plan and execute huge parties and dinners with a team of 2,000+ volunteers. During this time, and up until 2011, amputees were coming into Walter Reed daily.

While they were working together, they met two inspirational people that helped shape their future. Army veteran and Crossfit coach, Brendan Ferrera (pictured second from the left), and Army veteran, Paralympic bobsledder, and Walter Reed Crossfit Coach Jason Sturm (pictured on the right).

Eric, Amanda, Brendan, and Jason joined together to organize a team of disabled veteran athletes to compete in the then-popular Civilian Military Combine Obstacle Races. These disabled athlete teams would help to provide hope to the newly injured veterans. These teams formed the Veterans "Taking Up Fitness" Team - the Veterans TUF Team!

Later, when Amanda was laid off from the non-profit that she was working with after nearly a decade, the four-some realized that they were doing too much good with the veterans they were working with. And hence, the Stay Safe Foundation was born. At the time, Eric was a police officer, and it was an easy addition to bring in support for the LEOs that were experiencing many of the same struggles as the veterans.