Our nine-year old hero, Tyler Carach, aka, The Donut Boy, continues to persist on his goal of thanking every cop in America with a donut. Beginning his journey last with a simple act of thanking four officers at a rest stop with donuts, Tyler and his family have come a long way in just about a year.
A couple weeks ago, Tyler met up with the one and only, Staten Island Police Department! Again, the lovely folks at Dunkin’ Donuts donated 1,000 donuts in thanking the NYPD serving the Staten Island area. Another big surprise that should make this entire journey pretty memorable: Tyler got to throw the first pitch at Staten Island’s Yankee’s game. Watch out MLB; this kid’s got heart.
Later on in Maryland, the Carach family continued their journey to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Edgewood precinct. Tyler’s act of gratitude was especially meaningful since this department experienced two deputies killed in the line of duty in the winter of 2016, who made the ultimate sacrifice to serve and protect.
After many more stops and many, many more donuts, this week, Tyler and his family arrived safely at home after a long and grueling road trip. Back in Florida for now, but there are certainly more trips for the future.
Want to contribute? Learn about our 2 For The Blue program which donates 2% of sales on specific styles of our boots to Tyler’s cause or donate directly here.
Leo McSherry and Ryan Begin of the ALTAI™ boots team give their personal account of last month’s charity event with Dead Squad Paintball team, Challenge for Children’s, that we covered earlier. We at ALTAI™ strongly believe in supporting worthy causes and the boot guys would like to share how important this specific cause is to us.
A younger me would have been more excited about the dusty dirt road we drove down as we made our way to the 2017 Challenge for Children’s paintball event. A younger me drove an older car, though, and as much as I hate to admit it, a life in the suburbs has its benefits- one of which being much less gravel in my travel.
But today wasn’t about me and my fixation with maintaining a clean car. It wasn’t about getting out and showing support for the Dead Squad paintball team, a group of upstanding athletes and advocates of the ALTAI™ brand since day one, either. Today was about Challenge for Children’s, and it was not until reflecting on the day that paintball proved as a perfect pairing for passions that pull people together.
When Ryan and I arrived, an event coordinator had already begun reviewing rules surrounding the day’s game. Professional players, groups of friends, father/son combos, couples young and old, and lone wolfs all listened on, preparing for deployment in a manner I imagined mirrored a SWAT team readying for raid. I even saw my neighbor, a full-time mom managing a full-time career, who still finds time to support a great cause. And if I know anything about moms, she was going to be a formidable force for any unfortunate foe.
It was not long before we found ourselves talking to a young man who had traveled all the way from Chicago to participate in the day’s event. Conversation revealed that for him, Challenge for Children’s strikes very close to home. He had been diagnosed at childhood with a condition resulting from his brain growth exceeding the safe capacity of his skull. Children’s doctors, like the ones supported by the efforts of Challenge for Children’s, were able to perform vital surgery that ultimately enabled him the opportunity to continue living an active life. As an expression of his gratitude, he now dedicates his time mentoring a young boy being treated for the same condition.
Ryan and I were so taken by the atmosphere of the event that we almost missed our planned morning meeting with the Dead Squad team, but we were glad we didn’t. The entire Dead Squad team dedicated their day sublimating time on the field to provide ALTAI™ insight about the history of Challenge for Children’s, explain all the different types of paintball and the strategy surrounding, and even involve Ryan and his camera in some first-hand action. All I will say is the camera’s okay. As for Ryan, bruises go away.
We would like to extend a special thank you to Challenge for Children’s and all the volunteers/participants who contributed to another successful event.
Learn more about Challenge for Children’s mission from Richard of the Dead Squad paintball team.
Be sure to check back with us for more coverage on the Dead Squad paintball team and the sport of Paintball!
Last month our friends at Dead Squad Paintball participated in a charity event worth highlighting: Challenge for Children’s (C4C). This was its ninth year, promoting the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of MN and their work with Matt Ames’, avid paintballer and lives with a congenital heart defect. Thanks to Children’s Hospitals, Matt has been well treated for, since birth, and continues to receive treatment there today.
Our sponsored team, Dead Squad Paintball, MM Pro Paintball (Lakeville, MN), and other various local organizations teamed up to for this event, which gives back to the children, through the Children’s Hospitals. Challenge for Children’s has committed to raising $250,000 in donations to help build a new Simulations Center for the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of MN.
Even though you may have missed the event, here’s more information on Challenge for Children’s and how you can contribute to an important cause: giving where it counts, for kids in need. Challenge for Children’s
This coming Saturday, August 19th, the people of Carson City, Nevada (and our favorite young hero, Tyler the Donut Boy!) will be honoring a special fallen officer, Deputy Carl Howell with a benefit for his wife and four children.
Carl was a U.S. Marine and Deputy Sheriff who responded to a domestic violence call in 2015 when he was killed in the line of duty. This year marks the second anniversary of the deputy’s death and many have pulled together to put on a stellar fundraiser to benefit Deputy Howell’s family.
The memorial event will have plenty of family activities (including face painting!), musical performances by a huge line-up of talented bands, a silent auction, and more.
A Day of Remembrance for Deputy Howell – Aug 19th Carson City, Nevada at the Battle Born Harley Davidson. Learn more at The Last Response.
Tyler Carach, aka The Donut Boy, continues his noble journey of thanking every cop in America… with a donut and last week, Tyler got a chance to rub elbows with some of America’s finest: the NYPD.
Stopping in Brooklyn, Tyler and his family were able to deliver 1060 donuts (1000 from Dunkin’ Donuts and 60 from The Donut Pub, local shop) to law enforcement officers in the area. He even went beyond his normal charitable duties and helped out with the Basketball Cop Foundation delivering basketballs and goals to children in the Brooklyn community; what a kid!
Throughout the week, Tyler visited various NYC neighborhoods like Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, continuing his incredibly ambitious journey powered by gratitude and donuts. For the latest in The Donut Boy’s heart-warming adventure, stay tuned on his Facebook page.
From law enforcement professional to outdoor enthusiast… in one pair of boots.
We have a belief at ALTAI™ that law enforcement officers are some of the hardest working people in the world; not to mention, their feet. From chasing criminals to walking long nights on patrol, these men and women have to think fast on their feet and have the footwear to match.
Light weight is a top priority when 10k steps a day is a walk in the park for you. Every step matters so our original design was inspired to keep hard working feet going all day long. A boot that feels like they’re hardly there means moving with less added effort, increasing potential of long-term injury, common with lugging around in heavy boots.
On average, our boots are approximately 5 ounces lighter than the average tactical boot. Anything heavier can really add up over any amount of long distance. With that in mind, if you’re the grueling hiker, you will benefit in the same way law enforcement professionals do with the MFT100. Let’s face it, you probably already have gear weighing you down on the trail so anywhere you can cut weight is a huge benefit to your overall experience.
If you’re into gear that’s just as multi-functional as you are, it’s time to upgrade to the ALTAI™ Experience; one boot to do it all.
A big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who participated in our Gear Junkie #GiveTheBoot #GetTheBoot Giveaway! We had such a great time reading through why you think your friends could use a pair of ALTAI™ boots; we definitely have some rugged fans out there.
Now for the best part: announcing our winners! If you’ve entered our Gear Junkie giveaway, be on the look-out for a direct message from the ALTAI™ team on your Facebook. If you are a winner, you will receive a direct message from us that you’ve been selected for a free pair of boots! Follow the instructions in your message from the ALTAI™ team and you’re on your way to your free set of boots for you and a friend.
In case you missed the fun, here are all the contest comments and submissions on Gear Junkie’s Facebook post.
A big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who participated in our Gear Junkie #GiveTheBoot #GetTheBoot Giveaway! We had such a great time reading through why you think your friends could use a pair of ALTAI™ boots; we definitely have some rugged fans out there.
Now for the best part: announcing our winners! If you’ve entered our Gear Junkie giveaway, be on the look-out for a direct message from the ALTAI™ team on your Facebook. If you are a winner, you will receive a direct message from us that you’ve been selected for a free pair of boots! Follow the instructions in your message from the ALTAI™ team and you’re on your way to your free set of boots for you and a friend.
In case you missed the fun, here are all the contest comments and submissions on Gear Junkie’s Facebook post.
If you or someone you know has PTSD, then you know what a deep struggle it can be. For Retired Detective Joe Locus, it is a daily reality and after 12 years on the force, but now he faces a new struggle, one for his life.
In his 12 years on the force, Joe has seen some harrowing scenes. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is just one tough journey this former detective faces; Joe was diagnosed with renal cancer last year and when we heard his story, we felt compelled to share support for this hero in need.
Luckily, Joe has an indispensable partner to face these challenges with, Jinky the PTSD trained service dog. He is a critical part of Joe’s daily life and helps him deal with the struggles of PTSD by keeping him aware of his surroundings.
Our hearts went out to Joe so we donated a pair of our boots to him to help him along his journey. We hope to make the walk down this path just a little easier for him and you can do the same by sending support to Joe and his family through his GoFundMe page.
Learn more about Joe Locus’s big challenges ahead and why we remain steadfast in doing what we can to help Back the Blue.
For other ALTAI™ heroes you can help support, here’s another inspiring cause to get behind.
Time to check in with the heart-warming journey of Tyler, the Donut Boy, and his family on his mission to thank every police officer in the country!
Stopping in Ellijay, GA, Tyler got to tour the local Police Department and the local Sheriff’s Office while they were gearing up for 4th of July festivities. Officers taught Tyler how to operate the x-ray machine and he definitely got his use with the metal detector wand (especially on his mom!). Donuts given away: 84 donuts, 5 dozen bought by Tyler himself and 2 dozen donated by Dunkin’ Donuts.
Next, in Asheville, NC, where Tyler and his family had summer fun on the slip and slide with Officer Joe Jones, a storm came to town and taught everyone an important lesson. While enjoying a waterfall swim, Tyler and his family had to run for cover as a nasty storm approached. Tyler’s mom broke her flip flop on her way to grab the family truck and had to think fast; she added an ALTAI™ boot to the shoe-less foot and, eventually the other, and rescued the family just in time. Wise words spoken from Tyler’s mom about the experience, “You have to look at every experience as an adventure, you can choose to be upset but that will not change anything, so you might as well laugh.” Truth.
Onto Pigeon Forge, TN and Tyler’s family safely visits town. Tyler was able to meet a local K9 who took a particular liking to him, normally indifferent of most people, but this dog can tell a good soul when he smells one! This was also a special trip as he was issued my own Junior Deputy ID card, via the Pigeon Forge Police Department. Donuts given away: 240 donuts donated by Krispy Kreme.
For more updates on Tyler’s journey, follow his Facebook page and to step up and contribute, every pair of department-approved ALTAI™ boots donate 2% of sales to Tyler’s cause, thanking every cop in the country with a donut. For other ways to help, contact us today!
