A new project is launched in Billings marking a year-long community initiative aimed at supporting Montana veterans.
Project Patriot’s Promise will partner with four local veteran nonprofit organizations to raise $50,000 or more throughout 2025.
The project kicked off at the American Legion Post 4 on Wednesday night.
“We're here to support our veterans,” said Damian Forrester, founder and coordinator for Project Patriot’s Promise. “Making it fun so the community and families can get together to make awareness for these four projects,” Forrester said.
Forrester has a goal of raising $50,000 for the four nonprofits in 2025.
“I'm trying to shine light on that, not only these four organizations, but the community itself and how we can always come together and support our veteran community,” Forrester said.
Forrester introduced each of the four non-profits.
“So we bring them out to Montana on an all-expense paid fly fishing trip,” said Rob Lowe,Bar X Project co-founder.
“Resource navigation, peer mentorship and advocacy,” said Blake Fuhriman, executive director for the Veterans Navigation Network.
“We have an integrated therapeutic program where veterans are matched with dogs,” said DeeDe Baker, Dog Tag Buddies executive director and founder.
“We offer a safe space for female veterans to come together,” said Dallas Knight, Operation Juliet founder and president.
Each says they can do more for the veterans by working together.
“This is going to be a great opportunity for people to come out and learn a little bit more about us,” Lowe said.
“It allows us to do what we do so that a veteran doesn't fall through those cracks,” Fuhriman said. “They sign the dotted line willing to die for our country, and I think we owe it to them to be able to support them.”
“Each one of us do something unique, but when we come together, we actually are much more powerful,” Baker said.
“We all support each other and help each other in every way that we can,” Knight said.
And the name Project Patriot's Promise has a special meaning.
“There have been so many veterans out there in the past and the present and in the future,” Forrester said. “That have given back so much to the United States and to us and our freedom so why don't we make a promise to them to give back to them. So that's Project Patriot's Promise.
