Event to Honor More than 680,000 Arizona Veterans on the 100th Anniversary of Veterans Day

Formerly named the Checkered Flag Run Foundation, the nonprofit has officially changed its name to The HeroZona Foundation. The HeroZona Foundation was founded in 2011 by U.S. Army Desert Storm Veteran, Alan “AP” Powell and his business partner, Aaron Bare; who is the proud grandson of a World War II navy veteran, who continued his service to veterans by working for the Department of Veterans Affairs until retirement.

“The HeroZona Foundation has a strong focus on veteran initiatives and honoring those who have served our country and their family members. We wanted our nonprofit’s name to reflect that messaging to focus on empowering and celebrating America’s veterans,” says Powell.

The HeroZona’s Foundation’s next event is a week-long engagement starting on Veteran’s Day, Sunday November 11. The kickoff event is the Honor Walk taking place at Arizona State University and ends with the HeroPreneur National Veteran Business Summit (NVBS) taking place November 14th through 16th at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Taking place at the HeroPreneur NVBS, the HeroPreneur Awards Luncheon will be hosted by CNN’s Military Analyst and U.S. Army Major General (Ret.), James A. “Spider” Marks. Last year, U.S. Arizona Senator John McCain accepted the Lifetime Service Award at the First Annual Awards Ceremony. This prestigious award has been renamed to the Senator John McCain Maverick Award in honor of the late, great, prisoner of war and American hero, Senator John McCain. Aside from the Maverick Award, there will be six other awards given out to corporations and individuals under HeroPreneur’s three pillars: Education, Entrepreneurship and Employment.

“Service to our nation is a calling. Service to community is a gift. Service to your buddies and family is an act of love. To choose entrepreneurship while serving is the rare province of a hero. I’m proud to recognize and embrace the heroes among us at the Awards Luncheon to continue the mission,” says General Marks.

The HeroZona Foundation is excited to announce the new location for the 8th Annual Honor Walk, which will take place at Arizona State University’s Tempe Campus. The year will be special as it will take place on the 100th Anniversary of Veteran’s Day on Sunday, November 11. The event will benefit the Arizona State University Veteran Education Fund, American Legion and the HeroZona Foundation. This event is an opportunity to honor America’s veterans, including Arizona’s 680,000+ veterans who have served the country in the armed services.

“Everybody says they support veterans and veterans’ issues. Here’s a chance to turn our words into actions,” says former Arizona Congressman for Arizona’s 5th District and Arizona State University’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Matt Salmon.

Family, friends and loved ones walk every year in recognition of America’s veterans. Events for the day will include a walk and Fun Run for participants of all ages and abilities. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. and the race will begin at 9 a.m. Veterans are able to participate for free. The event will take place on Arizona State University’s Tempe Campus, at the Sun Devils Fitness Complex Fields at 500 E Apache Blvd, Tempe, AZ 85281. For more information and to register please visit Honorwalk.com

“The American Legion has been helping veterans with education and entrepreneurship for a century, and helped write the original GI Bill. We will continue providing support from our grass roots all the way to the nation’s capital in Washington D.C. for the next 100 years by partnering with and supporting programs like Honor Walk,” says the Department of American Legion Washington D.C.’s Executive Director, Louis Celli.

For more information about the HeroZona Foundation, visit herozona.org.

About HeroZona Foundation
The HeroZona Foundation has a strong focus on veteran initiatives and honoring those who have served our country and their family members. The nonprofit’s name reflects that messaging to focus on empowering and celebrating America’s veterans. Their upcoming event, HeroPreneur is a week-long Veterans Day engagement that has three pillars which empower Arizona’s veterans through entrepreneurship, education and employment. HeroZona‘s Annual Heropreneur National Veteran Business Summit has created a multi-day networking experience to improve America’s support of veteran companies through workshops, networking, entrepreneurial connections, and seminars; culminated by various entertainment events including the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade, HeroZona Honor Walk, Phoenix Sun’s NBA basketball game and other entertainment activities. For more information visit hnvbs.com, heropreneur.com or herozona.org.

Event to Highlight the Economic Impact and Business Development of Arizona

The HeroZona Foundation, formerly named the Checkered Flag Run Foundation, has announced its 15th annual invitation-only D.C. Celebrate Arizona Caucus Brunch. Previously called the Arizona Delegation Brunch, the event will take place at Georgia Brown’s during the Congressional Black Caucus on Saturday, September 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Speakers will highlight opportunities offered by the Arizona Office of Tourism, Arizona Commerce Authority, Visit Phoenix and additional Arizona Chambers to increase awareness of what it means to make Arizona the best state to live, work and play,” says HeroZona Foundation Founder and U.S. Army Desert Storm veteran, Alan “AP” Powell.

The caucus brunch aims to bring together legislature, businesses and lobbyists to learn about everything Arizona has to offer, such as national events, the diversification of the state, economic impact and business development. Sponsors for the event include the HeroZona Foundation, Arizona State University, Arizona Public Service, Squire Patton Boggs, University of Phoenix, Salt River Project and supported by The Leadership Consortium and Achieving My Purpose.

“The Caucus Brunch is a unique and outstanding opportunity for people to learn about culture diversity and the economic vitality of Arizona, so that they can see it as a destination for both business and pleasure,” says Director for Cultural Relations in Arizona State University’s Office of Government and Community Engagement, Kenja Hassan.

The event will include notable speakers such as U.S. Black Chambers Inc. President & CEO, Ron Busby Sr.; U.S. Congressman from Arizona’s 7th District, Ruben Gallego; U.S. Congresswoman from Arizona’s 2nd District, Martha McSally; U.S. Arizona District 9 Congressional Candidate and former City of Phoenix Mayor, Greg Stanton; former U.S. Congressman from Arizona’s 7th District and current Vice-President of government affairs at Arizona State University, Matt Salmon; and national legislative director of the American Legion, Matthew J. Shuman will be a special guest. The former Democratic leader of the Arizona State House of Representatives, the honorable Art Hamilton will be the master of ceremonies for the event.

“The leadership Consortium is pleased and honored to participate in the caucus brunch for our 2nd year and the HeroZona Foundation has exhibited great forethought for a bipartisan event. This is certainly something the late, great U.S. Arizona Senator John McCain would have been proud of,” says President and Chairman of The Leadership Consortium, Michael Kelly.

Achieving My Purpose, an organization that works to support women ages 18 to 35 to discover their life’s purpose will also be in attendance.

“Achieving My Purpose will be taking nine young ladies with us to Washington D.C. to encourage civic responsibility around the political process,” says President of Achieving My Purpose, Linda Walton.

For more information about the HeroZona foundation, visit hnvbs.com, heroprenur.com or herozona.org.

About HeroZona Foundation
Founded by U.S. Army Desert Storm veteran, Alan “AP” Powell, the HeroZona Foundation provides diverse educational programs that impact under-served students and veterans. They believe access to quality educational opportunities ensures the investment of every student and Veteran getting to cross the “finish line.” Their upcoming event, HeroPreneur is a week-long Veterans Day engagement that has three pillars which empower Arizona’s veterans through entrepreneurship, education and employment. HeroZona‘s Annual Heropreneur National Veteran Business Summit has created a multi-day networking experience to improve America’s support of veteran companies through workshops, networking, entrepreneurial connections, and seminars; culminated by various entertainment events including the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade, HeroZona Honor Walk, Phoenix Sun’s NBA basketball game and other entertainment activities. For more information visit hnvbs.com, heropreneur.com or herozona.org.

HeroZona Kicks-Off HeroPreneur’s National Veteran Business Summit.

HeroPreneur, a three day experience for America’s veterans, including Arizona’s 640,000 veterans and 2,000 veteran owned companies, will host an invitation-only kick-off to the National Veteran Business Summit on Monday, July 30 with an Arizona Commencement Breakfast. The event breakfast will be hosted by Crescent Crown Disturbing and sponsored by Hegg’s Auto Group, Checkered Flag Run Foundation and Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services. Breakfast will be prepared by Artisan by Santa Barbara Catering. It will be held from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Crescent Crown Distributing (1640 W. Broadway Road in Mesa, Ariz).

The commencement breakfast will open with a greeting from Checkered Flag Run Foundation board president, event moderator and U.S. Air Force veteran, Ronnie R. Williams. The American Legion Post 41 USMC veteran, Chaplain Oscar Santa-Cruz will give the invocation and U.S. Arizona Congresswoman and U.S. Air Force retired fighter pilot, Martha McSally will sing the national anthem and former vice mayor and City of Phoenix District 8 councilman, Michael E. Johnson will lead The Pledge of Allegiance. Mesa Arizona mayor, John Giles will give welcoming remarks. The event will be hosted by executive vice-president and general manager of Crescent Crown Distributing, Joe Cotroneo.

There will be an opportunity for guests and the media to listen to presentations from event partners and sponsors such as, Arizona Commerce Authority president and CEO, Sandra Watson; co-founder of the Checkered Flag Run Foundation, Aaron D. Bare; U.S. Air Force retired Arizona director of Veteran Services’, Col. Wanda A. Wright; Arizona Chamber of Commerce vice president and executive director of Arizona Manufacturing Council, Allison Gilbreath; former representative for Arizona’s 5th congressional district and ASU vice president of government affairs, Matt Salmon; and representatives from the Arizona Corporate Council on Veteran Careers and Vet Fran.

HeroPreneur has created a strategic alliance with the Million Dollar Circle of Excellence for the 2018 Heropreneur National Veteran Business Summit. President and CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Gonzalo de la Melena Jr. will be representing the company at this event.

U.S. Congressman and USMC combat veteran Ruben Gallego, U.S. Congressman David Schweikert and Scottsdale mayor Jim Lane will be in attendance. There will also be national veteran service organizations in attendance such as the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS and Veterans of Foreign War.

After the presentations, there will be opportunities to ask questions and network with the event partners.

“HeroZona is excited for year two of the HeroPreneur National Veteran Business Summit. It’s great to see all of the incredible growth, sponsors, supporters and partners that our three day experience has gained,” says Checkered Flag Run Foundation founder and U.S. Army Desert Storm veteran, Alan “AP” Powell.

The three day engagement will then return to Phoenix from November 13 through November 16 to empower veterans through entrepreneurship, education, and careers while celebrating the 100th anniversary of Veterans Day. It is spearheaded by HeroZona and Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, in conjunction with Nielsen, Arizona Corporate Council and VetFran.

“”VetFran is proud to partner with HeroZona’s HeroPreneur in making this second annual HeroPreneur National Veteran Business Summit a success. Veterans punch well above their weight in franchising and entrepreneurship, and giving the next generation of veteran business leaders a leg up is at the core of our shared mission. The city of Phoenix and the State of Arizona have a long running commitment to the veteran community, and we’re excited to be part of the action on the ground in November,” says VetFran director, Radim Dragomaca.

A portion of the proceeds from the HeroZona experiences will support organizations such as the Checkered Flag Run Foundation, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Honoring Arizona’s Veterans and the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services veteran programs.

“Nielsen is proud to be releasing our study on veteran consumers at Herozona in coordination with Checkered Flag Foundation. This study seeks to help brands and service providers better address the wants and needs of service members and their families, “says SVP global communications and multicultural marketing at Nielsen, Andrew McCaskill.

Members of the Arizona Corporate Council on Veterans Careers, a group representing more than 30 Arizona companies which employs significant numbers of veterans, will also participate in the breakfast.

“This is a great opportunity for our Corporate Council member companies to become involved early on in the 2018 HeroPreneur and Herozona celebration,” says retired Navy rear admiral, Corporate Council co-chairman and APS Director of External Communications, Hal Pittman. “Corporate Council companies have a vested interest in facilitating veteran hiring and careers. HeroZona is the statewide banner that says Arizona is open for business to those who have served.”

Registration for the Arizona Commencement Breakfast on Monday, July 30 will begin at 7 a.m. and there will also be an opportunity to register online at herozona.org/azbreakfast. For a full list of HeroZona events, visit herozona.org.

About HeroZona
Founded by U.S. Army Desert Storm veteran, Alan “AP” Powell, HeroZona’s HeroPreneur is a week-long Veterans Day engagement that empowers and celebrates America’s Veterans in Arizona. HeroZona ‘s Annual Heropreneur Veteran Business Summit has created a multi-day networking experience to improve America’s support of veteran companies through workshops, networking, entrepreneurial connections, and seminars; culminated by various entertainment events including the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade, HeroZona Honor Walk and other entertainment activities. For more information visit http://www.herozona.org.

The Phoenix Based Non-Profit, Checkered Flag Run Foundation, Seeks to Provide 15,000 Students with School Supplies and Workshops for Students Preparing for College

In an effort to support local families with the cost of their kids returning to school, the Checkered Flag Run Foundation will host the 6th Annual ‘ Phoenix Tools 4 School’ event on Saturday, July 28, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix (7050 South 24th Street).

“The program allows those who are lacking resources to focus on getting an education, instead of worrying about how to find the basic supplies needed for their education,” says founder of the Checkered Flag Run Foundation, Alan “AP” Powell. “By providing the tools necessary for their school year, we are investing in our future leaders and building stronger communities,” says Powell.

Phoenix Tools 4 School is free and open to the public for all students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade.

“There is nothing more important to the future of Phoenix than ensuring our students get great educations. Tools 4 School is our largest event to ensure students return to school with the supplies they need,” says Phoenix City Councilwoman from District 8,Kate Gallego.

In just five years, the Phoenix Tools 4 School annual event has impacted over 30,000 students and family members by providing them with a free meal and the supplies needed to ensure the investment of every student getting to cross their “finish line”.

“An investment in a child’s education is an investment not only in that child’s future, but in the future of our community. It is great to see our neighbors here in Phoenix come together each year to provide students with the tools they need to achieve success,” says Congressman Ruben Gallego from District 7.

This year’s event is expected to draw an estimated 15,000 attendees and will feature new experiences and partnerships with the Arizona Diamondbacks,Bank of America, Arizona State University, HDI, APS, UPS, Crescent Crown, Heggs Auto Group, HMS Host, Mesa Airlines, Helios Education Foundation, Arizona Community Foundation,Food City, Allstate Self Storage, Republic Services, Outfront Media,ISM Raceway, Golden Rule Live, ABC Nissan and Infiniti on Camelback. Food will be catered by Artisan Santa Barbara Catering.

“We are extremely excited to help the kids start the year off right with their backpacks and tools for school. If you don’t start right, you don’t end right,” says director of human resources for UPS, Darren Moore.

“HDI is excited to work with The Checker Flag Foundation. It is amazing to be a part of helping so many children receive the proper school supplies for the upcoming year,” says account manager for HDI, Scott Steffes.

Kids can enjoy a carnival atmosphere with attractions, games, swag and prizes provided by The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center.

“ABC Nissan and Infiniti on Camelback are proud to support Phoenix Tools for School. We believe all kids are on their journey to greatness, and every journey requires the right equipment! This project is so much fun for everyone involved, and allows our business to fulfill its most important responsibility, building and equipping future leaders,” says ABC Nissan and Infiniti on Camelback general manager, Adam Marazzo.

Special guest appearances will be made by Baxter, the mascot of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Phoenix Suns’ Gorilla. Volunteers from the Bank of America’s Young Professionals, Travis L. Williams- American Legion Post 65 and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s staff, aviation advisory board members and mascot Amelia will be in attendance.

“APS is happy to return as a sponsor for this meaningful program that helps so many kids have a strong start when they head back to school,” said Director of Corporate Giving for APS, Tina Marie Tentori. “It’s a great way to support entire families by providing essential resources during the busy back-to-school season.”

Additionally, this year’s event will offer new college prep workshops from Maricopa Community Colleges and Arizona State University to help those on their path to higher education. There will be presentations designed for 7th and 8th grade students at 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 28. Participants in the workshops will also receive ASU and South Mountain Community College swag and be entered into a drawing for other prizes.

“The work Checkered Flag Run Foundation is doing is so important to our community and I’ve always believed we have an obligation to give back, no matter who we are, or where we come from,” says Attorney General Mark Brnovich.

For more information about the Phoenix Tools 4 School event in July, visit CFRF.org.

About Checkered Flag Run Foundation
The Checkered Flag Run Foundation provides diverse educational programs that impact under-served students and veterans. They believe access to quality educational opportunities ensures the investment of every student and Veteran getting to cross the “finish line.” For more information about the Checkered Flag Run Foundation or to learn how to get involved, visit https://www.herozona.org or visit their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/checkeredflagrunfoundation.

About South Mountain Community College
South Mountain Community College (SMCC) reflects the diversity of the surrounding community, a rich mix of rural, urban, and suburban neighborhoods. Many students are from neighboring Phoenix, Laveen, Tempe, Guadalupe and the surrounding areas. For more information please visit http://www.southmountaincc.edu/

Second Annual Series Honors Business Talent of Former Servicemen, Features Celebrity Appearances

HeroPreneur, a multi-day experience founded by U.S army Desert Storm Veteran Alan “AP” Powell”, for America’s veterans including Arizona’s 640,000 veterans and 1,000 veteran owned companies, will return to Phoenix November 9 through November 16 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Veterans Day.

The week-long engagement is spearheaded by the Checkered Flag Run Foundation and Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services in conjunction with Nielsen, Bunker Labs, VetFran, National Veteran Business Development Council and MBNUSA.

“MBNUSA is a proud partner of HeroZona. We are ecstatic that this national platform will allow us to launch the MBNUSA HeroPreneur awards, which will be given to the top performing Hero Friendly Corporations and veteran owned businesses. This experience will further efforts to support veterans in many ways,” says MBNUSA founder, Don McKneely.

“Nielsen is thrilled to return as a key supporter of HeroZona. We truly believe the HeroPreneur summit will expand opportunities for veteran owned businesses, and the new partnerships with organizations that passionately support veteran owned businesses will have a direct positive impact on the economy through job creation,” said Lamont Robinson, vice president of supplier diversity for Nielsen.

The series of events will kick-off with the 8th annual Honor Walk and 5k Fun Run at Indian Steele Park right next to the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center on Friday, November 9th in partnership with Stamina H2O, a functional beverage specially formulated to promote mental and physical stamina. The Honor Walk will be followed by the 4th largest parade in the United States, the 22nd Annual Phoenix Veterans Day Parade.

A portion of the proceeds from the HeroPreneur week of experiences will support the Checkered Flag Run Foundation, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Honoring Arizona’s Veterans and the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services veteran programs.

HeroZona has announced new experiences for 2018. More information about each is below.

HeroPreneur National Veteran Business Summit: A three-day experience focused on Veteran Supplier Diversity:

Wednesday, Nov. 14: HeroPreneur National Veteran Business Summit, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. at Phoenix Convention Center:
The HeroPreneur National Veteran Business Summit will kick-off with a press conference and opening ceremony. Participants will have the opportunity to network with a multitude of local and national companies which seek to do business with veterans. Participants will also learn about different professional opportunities through workshops and seminars.
To register for the summit, visit herozona.org

Wednesday, Nov. 14 Heropreneur MBNUSA Reception & Awards, 7 p.m.-10 p.m. at Orpheum Theatre:
Hosted by actor and stand-up comedian, Bill Bellamy, who is a supporter of the troops both statewide and abroad, HeroZona will hold the inaugural HeroPreneur MBNUSA Awards on Wednesday, November 14. The special night will kick-off with the National Veteran Business Development Council reception and a meet and greet, followed by the awards ceremony, which will honor the heroes who support veteran owned businesses and the community.

For more information on the awards ceremony, visit https://www.herozona.org/.

Thursday, Nov. 15: Heropreneur Veteran Business Summit Day 2 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.at Phoenix Convention Center:
The Heropreneur Veteran Business Summit will begin with the AZ Million Dollar Circle of Excellence Breakfast. The AZ Million Dollar Circle of Excellence was launched by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and recognizes companies leading the way in supplier diversity by spending over $1 million annually with minority and women-owned business enterprises in Arizona.

After breakfast, guests will sit in on the “Hero Pitch”, which will be powered by the Bunker Labs accelerator, with special guest “Shark Group” entrepreneur extraordinaire, Daymond John, to witness veteran business owners seeking guidance on their ideas for business launch and expansion.

The event will be followed by the Nielsen Global Veteran Consumer Insight Report luncheon, with special guests Bunker Labs and the National Veteran Business Development Council, who will speak to the veteran community. The event’s 2018 keynote speaker will be “Shark Group” entrepreneur extraordinaire, Daymond John.

After the luncheon, the HeroPreneur Veteran Business Fair will begin. The fair will offer opportunities for veteran owned businesses to seek partnerships with corporations that are looking to collaborate with them. To register for the summit, visit herozona.org.

Friday, Nov. 16: VetFran at Phoenix Convention Center:
VetFran will feature a full day of franchise opportunities for veterans including networking, workshops, a veteran franchise fair and an opportunity luncheon.

For a full list of HeroZona events, visit http://www.herozona.org.

About HeroZona
Founded by Alan “AP” Powell, HeroZona is a week-long Veterans Day engagement that empowers and celebrates America’s Veterans in Arizona. HeroZona ‘s Annual Heropreneur Veteran Business Summit has created a multi-day networking experience to improve America’s support of veteran companies through workshops, seminars, networking, entrepreneurial connections, and seminars; culminated by various entertainment events including the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade, & other entertainment activities. For more information visit http://www.herozona.org.

About VetFran
VetFran member companies have grown into a large network of over 650 franchise brands that voluntarily offer financial discounts, mentor-ship, and training for aspiring veteran franchisees and veterans seeking employment. VetFran’s most recent survey shows that over 238,000 veterans and military spouses found opportunities in the franchise industry as either employees or franchise owners.

About MBNUSA
MBN USA is the No. 1 print and digital publication supporting the National Minority Supplier Development initiative. Founded in 1988 by veteran newspaper, magazine and radio communications leader Don McKneely, MBN USA magazine has received more than 75 awards for its work in supplier diversity development.

About Bunker Labs
Bunker Labs is a national not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization built by military veteran entrepreneurs to empower other military veterans as leaders in innovation.

About National Veteran Business Development Council
The National Veteran Business Development Council is the only third party Veteran Owned Business Certification program in the United States and is organized as a 501c3 not for profit foundation. The NVBDC was created for the purpose of providing a credible and reliable certifying authority that would ensure that valid documentation exists of a business’ Veteran ownership and control.

Checkered Flag Run Foundation to Expand its Educational Programs in 2018.

The Checkered Flag Run Foundation is a nonprofit founded by Alan “AP” Powell, that provides diverse educational programs, impacting under-served students, veterans and community members. Based in Scottsdale, the local organization began in 2011. This past year, the Checkered Flag Run Foundation expanded its reach through hosting a week-long engagement for Arizona’s Veterans, addressing Arizona’s teacher shortage crisis by putting Veterans in the classroom, donating over 8,000 backpacks to children in South Phoenix and working with law enforcement to improve community policing practices.

Moving into 2018, the Checkered Flag Run Foundation plans to ramp up its four programs: HeroZona, The Bridge Forum, Veterans Reach to Teach and Phoenix Tools 4 School.

HeroZona:
Last November, Checkered Flag Run Foundation’s week-long engagement, HeroZona, provided opportunities for Arizona’s 640,000-plus veterans with a multi-day networking event. The most notable HeroZona events included the HonorWalk, Salute to Veterans Festival, a job and hiring fair, an expert panel of local business owners, public recognitions at sporting events and a veteran appreciation dinner. HeroZona gained support of the entire Arizona community with backing from Senator John McCain, Governor Doug Ducey, Mayor Greg Stanton, Arizona Department of Veteran’s Services, corporate sponsors and educational colleges.

HeroZona will be celebrating its 2nd annual week of events across Metropolitan Phoenix in November of 2018, which will honor its centennial anniversary of Veterans Day.

The Bridge Forum:
The Checkered Flag Run Foundation has organized five Bridge Forums, and hosted two forums in Arizona in the past year. The Bridge Forum is an exclusive panel of police chiefs that participate in an open dialogue forum with community members in an effort to understand different perspectives, attitudes and beliefs about community policing. Feedback from participants was recorded and used by Arizona’s police departments for additional research and curriculum training, and to better impact the community by using best policing practices.

Currently, the Scottsdale Police Department is working on their feedback from Scottsdale’s Bridge Forum in January to implement 29 new initiatives for 2018. Examples of initiatives that the Scottsdale Police Department will be introducing include establishing sufficient resources for police personnel dealing with trauma, establishing dialogue opportunities with minority communities, enhancing engagement with the community’s youth and identifying ways to address the needs of the community related to behavioral health.

Previous forums have included participation from Arizona Governor Doug Ducey; Attorney General, Mark Brnovich; Secretary of State, Michele Reagan; County Attorney, Bill Montgomery; Scottsdale Mayor Jim lane; community leaders; civic organizations and several Valley mayors and police chiefs from Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Peoria and Salt River Pima- Maricopa Indian Community.

The Checkered Flag Run Foundation is currently in its planning process for its sixth Bridge Forum in the spring of 2018, which will include both high school and college aged participants. For more information about The Bridge Forum, visit http://www.thebridgeforum.com.

Veterans Reach to Teach:
Now in its 3rd year, the Veterans Reach to Teach program was created to bridge the more than 640,000 veterans living in Arizona. With more than 1,700 teacher vacancies in the state, the program aims to lower the number of vacancies by connecting Veterans with those teaching opportunities.

In 2017, the program assisted 200 Veterans and their spouses in earning their teachers certifications to serve in the classroom. Veterans Reach to Teach also launched a summer toy giveaway last May, in which military veterans in the classroom presented more than 10,000 toys to children in the Roosevelt and Laveen school districts in honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week.

Phoenix Tools 4 School:
The 5th annual Phoenix Tools 4 School event celebrated the largest back-to-school giveaway in South Phoenix history this past July. Checkered Flag Run Foundation and the Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center at Phoenix South Mountain rallied 800 volunteers to giveaway more than 8,000 backpacks for kids grades kindergarten through 8th grade. Santa Barbara Catering also provided breakfast at the event for more than 12,000 children. Sponsors such as UPS, APS, SRP, JP Morgan Chase, Crescent Crown Distributing, Arizona Diamondbacks and the Phoenix Suns to supply the kids with backpacks, school supplies, and haircuts to prepare for a successful school year.

The 6th annual Phoenix Tools 4 School will occur on Saturday, July 28th from 7 a.m. to 11p.m. For more information please visit cfrf.org or krocphoenix.org.

For more information about the Checkered Flag Run Foundation or to learn how to get involved, visit https://www.herozona.org/.

About Checkered Flag Run Foundation
The Checkered Flag Run Foundation provides diverse educational programs that impact under-served students and veterans. They believe access to quality educational opportunities ensures the investment of every student and Veteran getting to cross the “finish line.” For more information about the Checkered Flag Run Foundation or to learn how to get involved, visit https://www.herozona.org or visit their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/checkeredflagrunfoundation.

Law enforcement, Checkered Flag Run Foundation, Nielsen and community leaders work together to solve local issues

The Scottsdale Police Department is implementing a set of 29 strategic initiatives to bring forward in 2018 for their department’s Strategic Plan. These changes will be based off the feedback and open dialogue from the Scottsdale Bridge Forum, which occurred last January, between community leaders and top local law enforcement from around the Valley.

“Our Strategic Plan is a living document we update throughout the year, so we may be responsive to our ever changing environment and demands. Trends are examined, locally and nationally, to insure we are addressing, current needs, as well as needs for the future safety and welfare of the city and community,” said Scottsdale Chief of Police and Arizona Chief of the Year, Alan G. Rodbell.

New strategic inputs for 2018 are broken into eight categories which include behavioral health, data, justice, media, policing methods, outreach & engagements, outlook and youth. Examples of initiatives that the Scottsdale Police Department will be introducing include establishing sufficient resources for police personnel dealing with trauma, establishing dialogue opportunities with minority communities, enhancing engagement with the community’s youth and identifying ways to address the needs of the community related to behavioral health.

Chief Rodbell stated that this year’s strategic changes include input received from City Planning, finance, businesses, community members, department members and the Scottsdale Bridge Forum from January 2017. Last year, Scottsdale PD included inputs from the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, a review of the Department by the Center for Public Safety Management, deployment data from Corona Solutions and a national report on Ferguson PD.

“It’s imperative for law enforcement to have a plan in place for crisis situations and the Bridge Forum helps to strengthen the ties between Valley residents, local leaders and law enforcement through discussing solutions to community needs,” said Arizona Attorney General, Mark Brnovich.

The Scottsdale Bridge Forum was hosted by the Checkered Flag Run Foundation and Nielsen.

“In order for us to build a greater economy, we have to use platforms such as the Bridge Forum to educate everyone about the relationship between communities and small businesses. We have an opportunity at Nielsen to be a trailblazer in those efforts by articulating the roles that each of us could play whether community or law enforcement,” said Lamont Robinson, Vice President of Supplier Diversity for Nielsen.

The forum was moderated by Art Hamilton, who served 26 years in the Arizona House of Representatives and included Governor Ducey; Attorney General, Mark Brnovich; Secretary of State, Michele Reagan; County Attorney, Bill Montgomery; Scottsdale Mayor Jim lane; community leaders; civic organizations and several Valley mayors and police chiefs from Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Peoria and Salt River Pima.

“There is nothing more important to any community or our country as a whole than the rule of law and the fair and equal enforcement of those laws. The Bridge Forum is designed to affect mechanisms to strengthen trust and respect in relationships between Law Enforcement and all the citizens they serve,” said City of Scottsdale Mayor, W.J. “Jim” Lane.

Law enforcement and community members participated in breakout dialogue sessions during the forum in an effort to understand different perspectives, attitudes and beliefs about community policing.

“This Bridge Forum demonstrates what can happen when people talk directly to each other and not past each other. It gives hope that whatever chasms remain between us can still be bridged,” said Art Hamilton, who served 26 years in the Arizona House of Representatives and was the first African-American and only Arizonan to be elected president of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

There have been five Bridge Forums, which have all considered solutions to best policing practices from top law enforcement professionals. Feedback from participants were recorded and used by Arizona’s police departments for additional research and curriculum training, and to better impact the community by using best policing practices.

“We have done several of these Bridge Forums in the past for community stakeholders, and now we want to gear this event towards cities who don’t already have something in place to set the standard for our country,” said [Alan “AP” Powell, founder of Checkered Flag Run Foundation.

The Scottsdale Police Department developed an internal tracking process to follow the progress of its strategic initiatives, which is available to any police department of interest. Departments interested in gaining access should feel free to contact Will Davis at WDav(at)scottsdaleaz.gov.

The Checkered Flag Run Foundation is currently in its planning process for its sixth Bridge Forum in the spring of 2018, which will include both high school and college aged participants. For more information about The Bridge Forum, visit http://www.thebridgeforum.com .

About Checkered Flag Run Foundation
The Checkered Flag Run Foundation provides diverse educational programs that impact under-served students and veterans. They believe access to quality educational opportunities ensures the investment of every student and Veteran getting to cross the “finish line.”