Empowering and improving Veterans, 1st Responders, & Frontline Healthcare Workers lives through memorable sporting experiences, 
while bridging the gap with civilians
Blog Post

Everyone remembers their first (1st) time...

  • By Andrew Peden
  • •
  • 17 Jan, 2019
  • •

“I Wanna Give Back” (IWGB)

Everyone remembers their first (1st) time...“I Wanna Give Back” (IWGB)

The 1st TIME I met my wife she was wearing a brown sweatshirt and jeans, and she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I knew right there and then I was going to marry her.

1st TIME I met my children. Identical twin girls born 30 weeks to the day, 2lbs 8oz, & 2lbs 3oz., almost 2 mos. in the NICU. My little man went easy on us.

1st TIME my Father and I drove @4am into work at his garbage company. He taught me, a man’s word is his bond, and never ask a man to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself.

1st TIME I met a stranger, who's now a brother & the inspiration for IWGB. Did I think we were going to get married? No, but at times we fight like an old married couple.

1st TIME I was tased, put thru a gas chamber, & pepper sprayed one right after the other. 1st TIME I shot w/both eyes opened while keeping the shell steady on the front of my slide.

1st TIME I delivered a baby, helped GSW victims, & had pt's die in my care.

The 1st TIME I founded IWGB to empower and improve Veterans lives through memorable sporting experiences, while bridging the gap w/civilians.

The FIRST TIME I found my purpose & felt I belonged. See all of the above.

#IWannaGiveBack #IWGBlikesCoffee #Civilian2Militarybridgingthegap

Last year I made it public that I founded a Veteran’s charity on LinkedIn, even though I had never served in the Military. 

By Andrew Peden • 10 Jan, 2019
Last year I made it public that I founded a Veteran’s charity on LinkedIn, even though I had never served in the Military.

I remember writing my headline 100 times until I finally came up with “Founder I Wanna Give Back (IWGB) 501c3 serving Veterans”.

OMG…Had I made a mistake? Was #PatrickMcNamara gonna show up at my door and kick my a$$? Get sum!

Suddenly I felt a million red dots on my cranial ocular cavity.

My mind raced, I heard the voices. What will Veterans think? He must have some agenda! Who the hell does he think he is?

I knew there’d be critics. To me the work done & community served, outweigh opinion.

Thankfully I’m blessed, with support of great people, with Military experience, who assist.

I founded IWGB to literally “Give Back”, inspired by a stranger, now brother, who from Day 1 of training together taught me to shoot w/both eyes open, shared food from the same plate, while bunking together for weeks.

He just returned from overseas, pelican cases filled w/NFA, Class 3 SOT, SBR’s (I had NO idea what that meant back then) The alarms we had just placed on all the windows & doors came down after only one hour.

Why? Flatulence! You want ‘em? Come and take them!

www.IWannaGiveBack.org

#IWannaGiveBack
#IWGB
#IWGBLikesCoffee
#Civilian2Militarybridgingthegap
#BridgingtheGap



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