A Collaborative Effort to Help First Responders
The Trauma Survivors Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated by the State of Delaware, embarked on a mission to improve the lives of children and families who have experienced a traumatic event. To fulfill the mission, the foundation provides mental health services through a network of trained trauma therapists, grants scholarships to students interested in mental health related careers to promote research in trauma psychology, and trains emergency service personnel to provide crisis intervention when a traumatic event occurs. The foundation also offers first responders (fire fighters, police and EMS) scholarships to attend approved training classes. Knowing that first responders are vulnerable to traumatic events at their job, these classes help them cope with the emotional trauma, thus improving their professional and personal lives as well as the lives of those they serve.
To succeed in realizing their mission, the Trauma Survivors Foundation welcomes businesses to join their efforts via partnerships. The foundation embraced Flight Entertainment and Taste of Your Town in partnership to provide hope to people affected by traumatic events both nationally and internationally. These partnerships were formed for the betterment of first responders and survivors of traumatic situations and have so far been successful in achieving their goal. "I absolutely love working with Dennis Carradin and the crew from the Trauma Survivors Foundation. They give so much back to the First Responders who fall on hard times and go through tragedies. They give our company unconditional support time and time again. I enjoy partnering with an incredible person like Dennis and the Trauma Survivors Foundation" David Feldman, CEO, Taste of Your Town.
In a joint effort to go beyond the working environment, this year, the Trauma Survivors Foundation along with their partners, Taste of Your Town and Flight Entertainment, invited a group of Police Officers (agency name omitted for privacy/professional reasons) to be their special VIP guests at the Philadelphia Wing Fest for a day of fun and much needed relaxation. The Wing Fest, one of the foundation’s most fun events of the year, is an annual festival organized by Taste of Your Town that gathers some of Philadelphia’s best wing-selling restaurants to compete for the “Best of Fest” crown. Held at 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia, the festival also features live music, games, and family friendly entertainment. "The Philly Wing Fest was a great opportunity to relax and unwind with the men and women I have the honor to serve with on a daily basis. Dennis Carradin, Jon Schaffer, and Dave Feldman are as genuine as they come. They make themselves available to first responders, friends and family 24/7", remarked one special guest officer.
The invited group of police officers were thrilled to be a part of the fun-filled event. It was a great opportunity for the officers to relax and unwind and leave, if only for a short period of time, the stressors of the job. "The Philly Wing Fest was a great opportunity to not only enjoy some great food and drinks, but to enjoy quality time with the people I consider family. In a chaotic and stressful line of work, it's important to be able to unwind. The Wing Festival was the perfect place to enjoy some time off” said another special guest officer the officers got a chance to take a break from that chaotic and stressful line of work the officer talks about and enjoy quality time with each other. The CEOs of the three collaborating partners ensured to make the police officers feel welcomed and comfortable, like they were a part of their family. “It’s always a pleasure to spend time with co-workers and members of the Trauma Survivors Foundation. The crew from Taste of Your Town and Flight Entertainment always make us feel welcome and give us the opportunity to unwind. Many thanks to Dennis, Jon, and Dave for including us” said another special guest officer.
The Wing Fest is more than just a festival. Taste of Your Town has continued to leverage the event to give back to the community. Over the years, Wing Fest has helped raise thousands of dollars for local and national charities. The Trauma Survivors Foundation has had the privilege of being a part of the event since its inception. "The partnership between Flight Entertainment, Taste of Your Town, and the Trauma Survivors Foundation has been nothing short of incredible. We all truly work together for the betterment of First Responders and Survivors of traumatic situations. I believe together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of the people we serve". Jon Schaffer, CEO, Flight Entertainment
"As a national 501c3 nonprofit organization, the Trauma Survivors Foundation must choose our partnerships wisely and be exclusive in our approach. We have embraced Flight Entertainment and Taste of Your Town in a partnership which will allow us to realize our mission of providing hope to people affected by traumatic incidents on a national and international level. So far the experience has been nothing short of perfect and we look forward to a continued and successful relationship". Dennis Carradin, Founder and CEO of the Trauma Survivors Foundation.
When asked about his experience at the Philly Wing Fest, one of the guest officers had this to say, "Philly Wing Fest was a laid back, great time. Good food, good music, all in a festival setting that lets people relax and unwind. I was lucky enough to enjoy it with a group of my brothers and sisters. In our line of work, having fun on our down time and getting to know each other is everything. Philly Wing Fest was the ideal setting for doing just that. Dennis, Jon, and Dave not only made us feel welcome, but made us feel like we were a part of their family as well".