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 consultant. Not one of us served, but all are grateful to those who have protected our freedoms, and continue to do so, on our behalf. So how did we get here? Thanks Kevin!

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, and the healing connection made immediate sense. After realizing nobody else in the nation offered this alternative therapy, Hogs For Heroes came to life with a small family vision and our nonprofit designation in 2014.

Knowing our limited volunteer work would be done on the side of jobs and family life, we focused on our Wisconsin Veterans and set a goal of gifting one Harley a year to change one life a year. We raised our first dollar in the Spring of 2015 and, right on plan, gifted our first Harley on May 4, 2016. We consider that very first gifting to be “our birthday”; and every year since, with amazing Supporters at our side, our grassroots effort has grown to positively impact more Veterans, as well as those who support them, than we ever imagined.

We work in conjunction with everyday citizens, organizations, and businesses who seek to improve the lives of our Veterans; and our mission’s impact greatly depends on your generosity to support our reach. We appreciate you learning more about us and hope you join us on our journey to positively change, if not save, the lives of our injured and struggling Veterans.

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
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We Gift More Than Just a Motorcycle

Riding is an alternative therapy; and our gifts are the tools by which an injured Veteran rider regains its healing benefits. The Harleys are not awards for service achievements, popularity-based or simply thank-you gifts but are, instead, meant to help redirect, if not save, struggling and at-risk Veteran’s lives by returning them back to The Road. While our goal is to gift one bike a year, since our first gifting in May 2016, FIFTY Wisconsin Veterans have now regained riding in their lives. YOU put them on some incredibly beautiful bikes that fill their hearts, clear their minds, and reconnect supportive bonds. In 2025 alone, your support has made it possible for another TEN struggling, injured WI Veteran riders to regain healing and freedom from The Road. We are currently in fundraising mode for more Harleys to gift in 2026, and we thank you for being on this ride with us.

FOLLOW US & SHARE US on Facebook— this is how we communicate most news.
The more others know of our mission and opportunities, the faster we can make our vision a healing reality for others.

LATEST NEWS

MEET VETERAN #55:  Marine 1st Sergeant Dave Tellefsen of Fond du Lac, WI grew up in a military family with generations of service; and it was all he wanted to do himself.  He was a hard-charger who wanted in on the fight; and after two deployments to Iraq, he still wanted more.  He went on to pursue advanced certifications, train others and deploy to non-combat areas; and after 22 years of active duty, Dave still questions if he did enough.  The 22 years of wear and tear to his body, the ailments from burn pits, and the deep emotional scars of PTSD and survivors guilt certainly convey otherwise. Dave is a CVSO in Fond du Lac, WI, and spends his days advocating and caring for others.  Hogs For Heroes felt it was time someone support Dave’s healing by reconnecting a passion that heals.  On the showroom floor of Harbor Town H-D, Dave found a 2024 Road Glide in Whiskey Fire to make his his “someday” dream come true.  Dave’s Presentation of Keys will be on Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 5:30 pm during the Hogs For Heroes Fest with music from The Bobby Friss Band.   Read Dave’s story here and catch all the details of the Sloppy Joes Benefit Ride on 6/8 followed by Hogs For Heroes Fest by clicking here.

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HERE’S VETERAN #54: Army Staff Sergeant Clifford Williams of Black Creek, WI joined the Infantry for the combat action and distinction of becoming a Calvary Scout.  For 15 months in Afghanistan’s southern region, he worked as “the eyes and ears” of the commander on the battlefield, primarily living out of a truck or rucksack on reconnaissance missions and security operations.  While manning a guard tower at his Outpost, he saw the orange streak move across the sky and lost consciousness upon impact on his tower.  Cliff was medevaced out, diagnosed with a TBI and went back out for another ten months.  The attack’s injury would earn him a Purple Heart; the TBI and PTSD would leave him with a lifetime of struggle.  Cliff had been riding since he was 18 for the adrenaline fix and to clear his head; and without the ability to ride the last three years, his mental health has struggled.  We were glad for the chance to reconnect this rider with his healing passion and a stand-out 2024 Road Glide Special in Whiskey Fire from Doc’s Harley-Davidson in Bonduel, WI. Read Cliff’s story here

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INTRODUCING RECIPIENT #53: Army Veteran Ryan Ninedorf, of Chilton, WI, believes he was born to serve.  After becoming a Firefighter and Paramedic, his enlistment in the Army Reserves took him to Afghanistan in 2008 for a one-year tour filling holes that required a medic.   During his time as a convoy medic, a remote IED detonation under his vehicle left him with a Traumatic Brain Injury, a Purple Heart and a lifetime of struggle.  He’s worked hard the last nine years to rebuild; and riding has been key to it all.  In 2024 Ryan sold his bike to meet his changing financial needs; and unable to buy another, all he’d built was now in jeopardy.   Hogs For Heroes was honored for the chance to keep this servant’s heart on the road, and Appleton H-D made a dream 2017 Ultra Limited fit our budget and get him back on the road!  Read Ryan’s story here.

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LEARN ABOUT PAST RECIPIENTS! Miss the stories of our past Recipients?  Catch them below by simply clicking on the Veteran’s name button. See the Harleys they’ve chosen–some new, some barely broken in–by clicking on the Recipient Photos button here or the icon below.

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

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UNBELIEVABLE NEWS:  Fox News and their Fox & Friends First morning program flew a crew out, with Anchor Todd Piro, to interview our Hogs For Heroes family and recipients as we handed over our 18th set of keys to Marine Veteran Rick Erickson on May 23, 2021.  National attention?  Us?  UNBELIEVABLE!  Take a few minutes to watch this compassionate production on our mission’s efforts and impact by clicking here.

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SUPER COOL NEWS: Our Recipients created a way to express their appreciation and pride for the healing gifts your donations have made possible.  In addition to the decals they had made exclusively for Recipient use, they chose to have license plates that reflect their gifting number within the Hogs For Heroes family.  Watch for WI motorcycle plates on the road that read H4H## (i.e. H4H6 or H4H47, etc.).  And please note, Hogs For Heroes does not ask Recipients to tag their bikes (or themselves!) in any way.  They choose to do this.

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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 X (Twitter) Upcoming Events Latest Newsletter Recipient Photos 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 Veteran 18: Erickson, R. Veteran 19: Long Veteran 20: Ronn Veteran 21: Ferg Veteran 22: Kream Veteran 23: Wagner Veteran 24: Sieren Veteran 25: Dunn Veteran 26: Schroeder Veteran 27: Bays Veteran 28: Kuhn Veteran 29: Ropson Veteran 30: Brewer Vet. 31: Spangenberg Veteran 32: Bahr Veteran 33: Erickson, M. Veteran 34: Kruse Veteran 35: Gagne Veteran 36: Caso Veteran 37: Beaudry Veteran 38: Hameister Veteran 39: Olen II Veteran 40: Knez Veteran 41: Kronberg Veteran 42: Perkins Veteran 43: Williams, S. Veteran 44: Silkey Veteran 45: Driebel Veteran 46: Morrison Veteran 47: Beck Veteran 48: Shier Veteran 49: Wheaton Veteran 50: Glugla Veteran 51: Hanscom Veteran 52: Lehrer Veteran 53: Ninedorf Veteran 54: Williams, C. Veteran 55: Tellefsen

Application & Selection Process

In advance of Wisconsin’s riding season, and once we have raised enough funds to determine how many Harleys we can purchase, we will open our application process. Only during that time can Wisconsin Veterans meeting our application criteria either apply themselves or be “nominated” with the involvement of another. Applicants must first meet the following criteria for application consideration by our Advisory Board:

Each time we are ready to accept applications, the below links will be activated for access and printing of the required components. We will share the news and specific time frames. Our Advisory Board will then meet, review qualified applications and determine our next Recipient.

Selecting one Veteran from the many deserving applications is the most difficult part of the work we do; and yet, the most exciting and rewarding. We will notify our selected candidate, work with a local dealership and, with an allotted budget, allow the Veteran to choose the Harley best suited for their needs. We will honor our Veteran by sharing their story and inviting Supporters to a public gifting ceremony during which we will introduce our Recipient and present the keys to the Harley selected. Details can be found in our “Application Process” PDF below.
Application Process Application Consents Waiver/ReleaseOf Liabilities

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!

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Our Sponsors/Supporters