back the blue - ALTAI® Footwear

ALTAI™ Hero Spotlight: Retired Police Detective Joe Locus

altaidev on July 20, 2017

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.

The Ultimate ‘Thank You’ to Cops continues: Catching up with Tyler The Donut Boy

altaidev on July 11, 2017

It’s been a couple weeks since we introduced the young man, Tyler, who is on a mission: to thank every cop in America with a donut for his or her services. It’s a tall order for a relatively short guy, but his determination is helping him reach his goals and supporting law enforcement where it is well-deserved.

To kick off the first week, Tyler arrived at St. Augustine with 120 donuts from the A1A Dunkin’ Donuts, ready to hand them out. While grabbing a quick breakfast beforehand, Tyler was surprised by a K9 officer and K9 Kilo, given a ride (sirens, lights, the works!) and was escorted to the department to receive a parking lot full of squad cars with their lights on to honor Tyler.

After a few more grueling stops thanking cops, Tyler and his family rest in Ellijay, Georgia before hitting the road again! Just in time for the 4^th of July, the Donut Boy was able to continue his mission, where Dunkin’ Donuts, again, providing a Donut Boy discount for two dozen donuts for Tyler to give away.

https://www.facebook.com/100010151088075/videos/vb.100010151088075/483105638704468/?type=2&theater

In beautiful Asheville, North Carolina, Tyler even got to meet Officer Joe Jones, seen in this heart-warming video that went viral: a perfect example of outstanding community development by law enforcement officers, a perfect reason to thank a cop, as Tyler does.

We’ll have more updates as the week goes on, so stay tuned! If you want to get involved and help this boy and his important mission thanking the men and women who serve, visit Tyler’s Facebook page for more information.

And don’t forget! 2% of your purchase of any department approved ALTAI™ boot will go towards helping Tyler’s cause; everyone gets a treat, including your feet.