Napa Valley’s iconic Frank Family Vineyards is excited to have raised $55,000 in support of K9s For Warriors as part of the winery’s “Frank for a Cause” charitable giving campaign. K9s For Warriors is the nation’s largest provider of trained Service Dogs for military veterans with invisible wounds of war. Through sales of their nationally acclaimed Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Carneros Chardonnay, and plush wine bottle dog toys, the winery sponsored four legged-hero, Frankie, providing him with the veterinary care, equipment, and training necessary to become a life-saving Service Dog for a veteran with PTSD. In March, after eight months of training, Frankie was matched with retired Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Palomba, the program’s 1000th veteran.
“We are honored to be a part of this significant milestone in ending veteran suicide,” said Founder Leslie Frank. “This achievement by K9s For Warriors highlights the incredible impact Service Dogs have on the lives of our nation’s heroes, like Ryan, and their families.”
Receiving a trained Service Dog at no cost was one of the major reasons Ryan decided to apply to K9s to help him navigate his PTSD. “One of the questions I’ve been asked most recently is ‘how do you think Frankie is going to change your life,’ and the answer is he’s already changed my life,” shared Ryan. “I already feel different, feel lighter, and I already feel like he was meant for me before he was born.”
This cause speaks to Frank Family Vineyards’ deep-seated love for dogs and devotion to the American veteran community and honors Founder Rich Frank’s late father, Hy, who served as an infantryman and medical supply driver for the U.S. army during World War II. Hy was shipped out on the fourth wave to Omaha Beach, one of the five landing areas of the Normandy invasion, four days after D-Day. After the invasion, he drove trucks with the oil for General George S. Patton’s tanks and served in combat in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 before coming home after the war’s end. “My dad proudly fought for our freedom like so many of our nation’s heroes,” said Rich Frank. “This is our way to fight for theirs.”
“This year marks an extraordinary milestone for K9s For Warriors as we celebrate the graduation of our 1,000th Warrior paired with a life-saving Service Dog – that’s ١,٠٠٠ Warrior lives saved,” said K9s For Warriors Chief Program Officer Kevin Steele. “This achievement is a testament to the unwavering dedication of every team member past and present at K9s, our incredible supporters and donors like Frank Family Vineyards who have allowed us to keep this program at no cost to the Veteran, and the profound, lasting impact of our mission set forth by our founder, the late Shari Duval. Together, as we celebrate transforming the lives of 1,000 Veterans and their Service Dogs, we look to the next 1,000, ready to give them their new “leash” on life.”
In 2018, Frank Family Vineyards launched “Frank for a Cause,” an annual fundraiser that has raised funds to support local and national charities covering a variety of causes, from reforestation and health research to hunger relief and animal welfare. To date, Frank for a Cause has supported seven national nonprofits and numerous local organizations from Napa Valley and beyond, with plans to announce their newest charitable partner in July 2024. To learn more about Frank Family’s charitable giving and how to support it, visit www.FrankFamilyVineyards.com/Philanthropy.
