Love dogs? Helping veterans? Eating awesome food?

If you answered "yes" to all three questions, then you should probably mark your calendar for the inaugural Dog Tag Buddies Celebrity Chef Gala. It will be held October 1st at the beautiful Northern Hotel in historic Downtown Billings. The keynote presenter at the event will be a former White House Executive Chef named Andre Rush.

Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Josh Cellars. Inset Dog Tag Buddies, used with permission
Photo Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Josh Cellars. Inset Dog Tag Buddies
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It's a benefit for Dog Tag Buddies.

The October gala is an inaugural fundraiser for Dog Tag Buddies, a 501(c)(3) based in Billings that was founded by the proud wife of a veteran who suffered injuries during an IED blast in 2005. The Montana National Guardsman returned home and was diagnosed with PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury). His wife noticed the positive effect their dogs had on her husband, which led them to launch Dog Tag Buddies. They now have a network of six locations across the state.

Dog Tag Buddies provides a number of services, but their primary focus is pairing veterans living with hidden injuries (PTSD, TBI, MST) with rescue dogs. They wrote,

Following the match, we place the team into community-oriented training sessions. Based on the veteran’s needs, the dog receives training to become a well-behaved companion animal or a fully-trained service dog. All services are at NO cost to the veteran.

It's a pretty awesome organization.

Big muscles and a big heart.

Chef Andre Rush is a retired Master Sergeant combat veteran and served as a White House Executive Chef for four administrations. He can bench press 700 pounds and performs an astonishing 2,222 push-ups every day.

Credit: Dog Tag Buddies, used with permission
Credit: Dog Tag Buddies, used with permission
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Unique "tickets" to the event will likely sell out.

Your ticket to the fundraising gala is a truly unique keepsake. Styled like an actual military dog tag, they're available now for $150 each or $1,100 per table. You can reserve your tickets HERE. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. The night promises to be an enjoyable evening with fine food and drink, plus a silent and live auction.

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