About Us

Founding Board

Kevin and Audra, Craig and Michelle. Two brothers and their wives. Two ride and two don’t. All four solid Wisconsinites. Parents to a collective mass of five amazing people. One lawyer, one nurse, one government employee, one communications specialist. Not one of us served, but all are grateful to those who have protected our freedoms, and continue to do so, on our behalf. Looking to combine two long time passions of Veteran support and motorcycle riding, Kevin had been looking for a way to make a large, impactful difference in a small number of lives rather than a slight difference across many. In the fall of 2014, he read an article on the therapeutic benefits of motorcycle ownership amongst Veterans with PTSD, particularly when faced with different challenges upon returning to civilian life.  Choosing to specifically focus on Wisconsin Veterans, Kevin’s vision came to life and Hogs for Heroes was born.

Working in conjunction with everyday citizens, businesses and other veteran’s organizations, we have already seen tremendous results for Wisconsin Veterans. Hogs for Heroes is truly a grassroots effort, impacting the lives of our veterans and those that support them. Please join us on our journey as we continue to positively impact the life of another deserving Veteran rider.

Our Advisory Board

Enlisting volunteer members of our community, an Advisory Board collaborates with and provides direction to our Founding Board in three primary areas:

  1. Participate in decision making as it pertains to the selection of a Veteran candidate in the gifting process.
  2. Advise on any operational or strategic matters brought to them by the Founding Board.
  3. Serve as community liaisons, fundraising advocates and organizational ambassadors for Hogs For Heroes throughout the state of Wisconsin.
Mission & VisionStatements Founding BoardMembersAdvisory BoardMembers
Learn More

Latest News

Hogs For Heroes started in the spring of 2015 with the goal of giving one bike a year. Right on plan, we gifted our first bike in May of 2016…and with the close of the 2020 riding season, this small family nonprofit put a total of SIXTEEN injured Wisconsin Veteran riders back on the road with beautiful Harley-Davidson motorcycles. We work year round to raise funds for bikes to gift during Wisconsin’s riding season. These pandemic times have been tough on everyone and, in preparing ourselves for a leaner year of gifting motorcycles, we hoped we could gift two. But because of your amazing support, we now plan to gift at least FOUR Harleys in 2021! Stay tuned!

Be sure to LIKE Us & SHARE US on Facebook-this is where we share the majority of our announcements and communications. The more others know about what we’re doing, the faster we can make our vision a reality for another injured Veteran rider.

___________

MEET 2021’S FIRST RECIPIENT: Navy Veteran, Shannon Flynn of Oconto Falls, WI, is our first Veteran to roll out! With 23 years of service and three combat deployments, the physical and mental toll taken will undoubtedly be supported by reuniting with his passion. A rider for over 28 years and a MMI certified mechanic, he’s been without his own wheels for three years as he put his family and financial needs first. Unique to this bike, it’s been fully paid for by the generous 2020 fundraising efforts of Wisconsin’s International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139! Shannon found his love on Open Road’s floor in Fond du Lac, and we’ll be bringing that bike up to his hometown for his gifting on May 8, 2021! Check out the event flier by clicking here, and learn more about Shannon’s strength and determination by clicking here.

___________

2021 APPLICATION UPDATE: We will be rolling out our first three Veterans of 2021 during the May-July time frame. We work pretty quickly to get our Recipients back on the road, so apologize for the short notices we provide our Supporters! We will open a second, shorter application period later in May, 2021, and currently plan for at least one more Veteran to receive the gift of a Harley-Davidson and the benefits of wind therapy in the second half of the summer. Materials will be available on our website once we open, and all new applications will be equally considered alongside those received earlier in the year.

___________

CATCH OUR LATEST NEWSLETTER! Find out the latest happenings and updates in our most recent Hogs for Heroes newsletter.  Read it here!

___________

“PINCH ME AGAIN” NEWS TO US… In 2020 we were surprised and honored to have had a Wisconsin craft beer created just for our mission…. and the partnership of Capital Brewery and the Tavern League of WI, are DOING IT AGAIN IN 2021! This limited release craft beer is a fabulous Golden Ale and is specifically created to express the partnership’s deep gratitude to Veterans and support those who served. The beer flew off shelves and had people searching the state for it…and of course Covid was no help to our roll out efforts. It will again be a limited release, likely to roll out in June. START ASKING your favorite bars and stores to support our Veterans by bringing it in— draft or can.

___________

LEARN ABOUT PAST RECIPIENTS! Miss the stories of our past Recipients?  Catch them below by simply clicking on the Veteran’s name button.

___________

SUPER COOL NEWS: Once again, our Recipients came up with a way to express their appreciation for the healing gifts you made possible in their lives. In addition to the decals they previously made, they recently chose to have license plates that designate their gifting number for those who want them. Watch for WI motorcycle plates on the road that read H4H 1-16 (i.e. H4H 6), with hopefully more numbers to come. And please note, Hogs For Heroes does not ask Recipients to tag their beautiful bikes (or themselves) in any way. They choose to do it.

___________

THE “THIS JUST DOESN’T GET OLD” NEWS: In November, 2019, our Founding Family was surprised by a party our Recipients, their spouses and our Board members threw to honor us. We still choke up over this. NBC15 Madison was on hand to capture the surprise moment and tell us our nonprofit had been selected for their regional “Making A Difference” Award! This beautiful piece was created and narrated by NBC News Anchor John Stofflet and his skilled team, and features our first recipient, Sun Prairie Marine Scott Kruchten. And the cherry on top… it won a coveted Edward J. Muir journalism award in 2020.  Catch the video here.

___________

 
Facebook Twitter Upcoming Events Photo Gallery Veteran 1: Kruchten Veteran 2: Tinsley Veteran 3: Kvitek Veteran 4: Bentley Veteran 5: Vandeyacht Veteran 6: Russow Veteran 7: Giese Veteran 8: Thiede Veteran 9: Sokel Veteran 10: Cutler Veteran 11: Provencher Veteran 12: Swaney Veteran 13: Buchanan Veteran 14: Richter Veteran 15: Endicott Veteran 16: West Veteran 17: Flynn

Application & Selection Process

Once we have raised sufficient funds to purchase a Harley-Davidson, we open up our application process.  Only during that time,  Wisconsin military Veterans can nominate themselves, or be nominated by someone well known to them.  Selecting one Hero is the most difficult part of the work we do; and yet, the most exciting and rewarding. Using an application process and an Advisory Board of informed and involved community members, we will select one applicant who meets the following criteria:

Each time we are ready to accept completed applications, the below links will be active and provide you further detail as well as the ability to print off, complete and mail in all the required components. We will use every means at our disposal to “blast out” the good news of our open application period and give you a specific time frame in which to share the opportunity with a qualified candidate and/or complete the process. Our Advisory Board will meet to review all applications received and postmarked by the deadline date. They will then select one Hero to receive a Harley-Davidson.  We will notify our candidate and work with a local dealership to select the motorcycle best suited for our Veteran’s needs.  We will gift our motorcycle as a symbol of gratitude from the many who contributed at a public event.  Just as we did for the open application process, we will notify our supporters of the gifting celebration so that all may honor our Veteran Hero.

Application Process Application Consents Waiver/ReleaseOf Liabilities
Learn More

Ways to Get Involved

Donate…

It is our mission to gift a Harley-Davidson motorcycle for a deserving Wisconsin hero. We are humbled by the donations of our supporters; your generosity makes this vision a reality. You can make a tax-deductible donation here.

Help Raise Money on Your Own…

Because we are a small grassroots organization, we depend on our supporters to spread the word to raise awareness and funds. Consider hosting a third-party event and share your proceeds with Hogs for Heroes.  In the past year, the amount of third-party fundraising events has been incredible, with businesses, clubs and veteran’s groups sending us donations from sponsored rides, golf outings and events. The list of ideas can be just as creative as you wish: club cook-outs, motorcycle rides, garage sales, golf outings, chili cook-offs, bowling events, bake sales, car washes, brat stands, cafeteria change collections, restaurant dining for causes…The list goes on.  We’d love to post your group’s efforts on our site to help promote the event and your business.

Spread the Word…

Like us, tweet us, post us, copy us, forward us, link us, blast us and just plain talk us up…the more others know what we are doing, the faster we can make the vision happen for our Veterans.

Display Our Brochures…

Have a business that is likely to interact with Veterans, loyal Americans or motorcycle enthusiasts? We would be happy to send you some brochures to display.

Make an In-Kind Donation…

Goods and services allow us to greatly enhance our fundraising and/or advertising possibilities and reduce our operational costs. Large items for raffles, food or drinks for events, printing services or event hosting capabilities—- the list goes on for us and gives you a great tax break along with a marketing presence.

Volunteer Your Time…

It’s hard for us to get around the entire state, that’s where social media and the generosity of others comes into play. Consider sharing your talents, manning a booth, talking to your local community groups, or reaching out to those who may be interested on our behalf.

Invite Us In…

Have a community event or festival coming up that you think would embrace our mission? Have a business, employer or a club that is looking for their next benefactor? Consider inviting us in and providing us with a little space and time on your agenda.

Have Another Idea?

Just contact us – we’d love to hear from you and help make your plan happen!

Learn More

Our Supporters