Description

The dinner and program are free to honorably discharged veterans, retirees and active, Reserve and National Guard members and their families who live or work in the greater Elk River community
The 2023 Elk River Beyond the Yellow Ribbon (ERBTYR) Military Appreciation Dinner is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. The free dinner takes place at St. Andrew Church, 566 4th Street in Elk River.
 
The featured speaker is an Army veteran who will discuss how he, with the help of his, and more than 175 other K-9s, addresses Post Traumatic Secondary Disorder (PTSD) for himself and other veterans. 
 
Reservations are required by Nov. 10, 2023; call or text 763-528-0646.  The ERBTYR is a non-profit, led by volunteers.
 
The featured speaker is distinguished U.S. Army Sgt. veteran Ed Abrahamson; he will be accompanied by his “Battle Buddy," Dez, a Shepherd mix originally from the Czech Republic.  During his service in the Army, Abrahamson was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division; he served for four months in Operation Desert Storm where he was witness to uncountable casualties along what has become known as the “Highway of Death."  After his discharge in 1992 Abrahamson returned to Minnesota and earned a degree in Law Enforcement; he served with the Minneapolis and South St. Paul police departments, the latter where he was a SWAT team member.  In part due to his wartime service, he experienced Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, which continues to this day.   
 
Abrahamson is the founder of Soldiers6, a non-profit started in 2016 that has provided more than 175 service dogs to qualified honorably discharged veterans, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, corrections officers and 911 dispatchers who reside in Minnesota.  The name Soldiers6 signifies the K-9’s Battle Buddy's 6 (or back).  These special dogs become their master's “Battle Buddy,” helping to support their humans unconditionally through the difficult days in life.  Abrahamson will share his personal story with Dez by his side.
 
For more information about Soldiers6, visit www.soldiers6.com.  To learn more about ERBTYR, visit Facebook.com/ERYellowRibbon or email elkriverbtyr@gmail.com