With the launch of our CrowdRise Campaign this week we would like to introduce you to Mike Elliott, Founder of The All Veteran Group.
Mike Elliott with Former President George H.W. Bush Sr. After Their Tandem Jump on his 90th Birthday
Mike Elliott’s mission is one of hope and inspiration, “With AVG, we are changing directions and changing lives. We provide a blueprint to translate aspiration for change into action, and a new sense of freedom. Traditional values of teamwork, effort, accountability, trust and selflessness are the cornerstones of AVG’s Programs.”
95% of the All Veteran Group is comprised of Golden Knights, Mike Elliott himself is a Golden Knight who served a Combat Tour in the Persian Gulf War, Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Mike has completed more than 8,000 freefall parachute jumps, 2,000 tandem jumps and 92 military static line jumps. He is also a military Jump Master, a certified Federal Aviation Administration Parachute Rigger and a Tandem Instructor Examiner and Accelerated Free Fall Instructor. Mike has jumped with former President George H.W. Bush three times, the last time was on on the former Presidents 90th birthday and we were lucky to attend and gift our Freedom Life Chest to George H.W. Bush when they landed! (Check out our post about this event here)
Mike made a great video which allows you to take a look at his greatest accomplishments and cherished memories, he keeps them inside his Freedom Life Chest and we are honored.
Through creating our CrowdRise campaign and partnering with the All Veteran Group, our goal at The Life Chest is to complement the Therapy in the Air program with the donation of one hundred Freedom Life Chests.
The AVG program for Veterans, Therapy in the Air is “…[a skydiving program that] helps warriors thrive through post-traumatic growth (PTG). PTG refers to positive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances. Skydiving has an unparalleled sense of freedom mingled with excitement unlike that of any other sport. Therapy in the Air inspires individuals during rehabilitation, reintegration and during the healing process. They assist with helping individuals realize that they have the power to tell new stories that will help them overcome adversity and move forward. Through telling new stories, warriors are able to rebuild a sense of self—to reconstruct an understanding of who they are, their place in the world and what their expectations of the world are.”
Here are a few other exciting stories from Mike Elliott and the All Veteran Group: