Luke Klink
Mar 2, 2023
Sons of Amvets Post 127 in Ladysmith presented a $5,000 donation last weekend to a non-profit organization that provides fully-trained service dogs to veterans experiencing post traumatic stress disorder, but the fundraising during the Saturday event didn’t stop there.
Post leaders challenged others to give toward a good cause, almost doubling what they had originally hoped to take in and nearly quadrupling its service dog donation.
The post sold about 250 tickets for the one-night event featuring a concert by popular northwoods performer Chris Kroeze with a goal of raising about $12,500.
Nearly every ticket was sold. The venue at JS Supper Club was packed.
Then came the real challenge as Squadron Commander Dave Roth began urging others in attendance to pitch in. They did.
Roth praised other groups for participating in a challenge donation including Ladysmith Amvets Post 127, Ladysmith Lions and the VMA Drop Zone in Ladysmith. Others walked a 5-gallon bucket through the crowd that netted almost $2,000 in additional cash donations.
“The monies are continuing to fall in,” Roth said. “When it was all accounted for we received close to $20,000 that night.”
The squadron made a $5,000 donation from ticket proceeds during the event to Warhawk Service Dogs, a non-profit organization started by Kevin Doncaster. He is a U.S. Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and has 14 years of service in the Armed Forces and as a Department of Defense contractor.
During that time, Doncaster spent 3 years in Iraq and 4 years in Afghanistan. He sustained multiple injuries as a result of his service in the Middle East. After returning home for good, Doncaster was searching for answers and help for struggles associated with exposure to war.
While he made it home safely, his mind remained at war. Doncaster was gifted a fully trained Australian Shepherd as a PTSD service dog. Two weeks following that special day, one of his friends died by suicide.
Doncaster decided to turn that adversity into action and launched Warhawk Service Dogs, based in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The organization has delivered more than 50 dogs to 20 states with two of them in Rusk County. Doncaster has the ambition to deliver to all 50 states.
Doncaster accepted the donation and his daughter, Isabel Doncaster, spoke to the crowd.
“Hi. I’m Isabel. We are about dogs and people,” she said.
Remaining fundraiser proceeds will help the squadron continue its maintenance of veterans graves at Riverside Cemetery in Ladysmith and to support other Rusk County services.
Sons of AMVETS is a nationwide service organization comprised of male descendants of American veterans. As part of the AMVETS family it is united in service and dedicated to improve quality of life, advocate legislation for increased benefits and care, provide and support charitable assistance to veterans, their families and community.
Sons of Amvets Squadron 127 is a unit of Amvets Vacho-Lybert Post in Ladysmith.
Donations continue to come in, according to Roth.
“By far this fundraiser is one of our largest one-day events as far as donations,” Roth said.
Kroeze was born and raised in Barron. In 2018, Kroeze entered the 15th season of NBC television singing competition, The Voice. He made it to the finale and placed second.
A popular live performer, Kroeze has developed a large military fan base as well, in 2020 making his 10th overseas tour, and he is a recipient of the Red Cross Community Hero Award.
National and state Sons of Amvets leaders also were in attendance at the fundraiser. They saw a squadron that in just a few years in existence is already one of the largest in the state and continues to raised large sums of money to help the surrounding area.
“I am blown away by the support we received from local businesses and the people in our community,” Roth said. “We set the bar so high for what is going on nationwide.”
Donations to Warhawk PTSD Service Dogs can be sent in care of Kevin Doncaster, PO Box, 1021, Council Bluffs, Iowa, 51501.