October 28, 2024 • 8 mins
A HERO'S THANK YOU IS BACK! So if you know a deserving veteran who could use a check for $2,500 bucks send them this or nominate them yourself!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ben Albright, everybody, and it's time to talk about the heroes.
Thank you, which I keep calling a heroes welcome for
some reason. And I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
People have long compared me to a younger son.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Ever, not one time compared you to a younger hotter, Enrique,
except you you're looking in the mirror. You're like, am
I a younger hotter?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
In?
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Actually?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
But does that mean he's saying he's better on a podcast,
but when he's live he's gone awful? Is that I'm
saying I also dated Anna Krdkova?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
You wish let me come on.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Nobody buying that one either, No, nobody's buying that.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
You're not laying that down now. Ben Albright, who he
love to tease because he well all, he's created something
of a reputation for being that guy who likes to
argue and complain about things.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
M don't call me Tony Hcliff.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
But by the way, and what they don't know about
Ben Albright is his softer Inny goose Guey Center, the
part where you actually on occasion gets his little teeny
tiny heart to come up three sizes too big. And
then he does something super nice every year and that
is a Heroes thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, you know. I mean I think most people who
know me know I'm a veteran as well, and I
try to involve myself in a lot of veterans causes.
I'm actually gonna be mceing the Denver Veterans Day Parade
this year.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
That's very exciting for you.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So super yeah. I am super honored by that. Like
I'm actually like super yeah. Talked about it's like this
is like throwing out the first pitch for.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Me, you get to Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
But yeah, so Heroes thank You with something that it
was actually created by Jeff Johnson here and Jeff had
approached me about it when I first came on at
KOA because the first year had been done with some
other people and he knew as a VET, and I
was only like right away, yes, let's do this, let's
do this. And we have managed to expand this thing.
I mean like from the second year we did objectives
(01:52):
like triple We now give I think four times the
beneficiaries now because we get great sponsors for this stuff
every year. But basically we're handing out a couple of
thousand dollars checks twenty five hundred depending on the year whatever.
The sponsors are willing to get in there too, you know,
veterans and first responders to families in need around the
holiday season. And man, we love doing it. We get
some get to be some great people doing this and
(02:14):
surprise people. It's great. This is the surprise and the
people and just the emotional reaction they have.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
And let me ask you a question. How many of
the veterans that you have had a chance to go
give the giant check to and do we have an
account with a giant check?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Do we have a giant to have check? We don't.
By the way, you can't take those giant checks to
the banks. They will not care, just ignore you.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Look at why din't you just ride out on that
giant check? He wrote in ont Forge one of the
giant knobs kids. Not this year anyway, those charges have
been expunded. So how many of the guys or gals
that you've given checks too have said something along the
lines of, you know, somebody else should get that, because
that's my issue? And I say issue or with air
quotes with veterans is they always think somebody deserves it
(02:54):
more right.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
There's a lot of that privately, you know, that kind
of stuff. But to these nominations come in from their family,
so I don't want to do that, they don't want
to be so it kind of it kind of works
out that way, a little bit that we have to give.
You know, you can't give this away buddy your family. Yeah, exactly,
but there has been that. A matter of fact, we
did have one winner turned down their award and have
(03:16):
it donated somewhere else. We did have that.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
That's awesome. Don't get me wrong when I say that.
I always feel like I don't want to be the
person who makes a person who gets one of these
checks feel like, well, I have to donate it. No,
I want you to keep the money and spend it
however you want to spend it. But if it makes
you feel good to donate it and you can do that,
that's wonderful too. I never want to make someone feel
bad about getting one of these checks, because I think
(03:39):
that everybody that you've given them to. The stories are
heart wrenching.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
We do video of it.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
We put it on the blog later so you can
see it. It's just it's nice to appreciate people who
did most of them did their service and they just
are quietly going about their lives and not making a
big deal out of it and not you know, expecting anything, right,
And those to me are the people that deserve it the.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Most absolutely and get being able to be able to
do that and see you know, the faces. It's I
think it's a ve like. You don't want the constant adulation, right,
or at least I don't want to speak for all its
I don't want it, but I do as much as
I ham it up, you know, all the time. I
really don't and and but you do. It is nice
to be appreciated every once in a while and remember that, hey,
these people appreciate that I did this or that I
you know, those kinds of things, and it.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Is certainly is nice.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
And then the addition, you know, especially for the ones
that really needed it, there's been some just I mean
some gut wrenching stories on Some of these family lost
their home. This was able to float them. So this
money was able to float them through tell their insurance
came in because their home had burned in a fire.
There was a young lady whose husband had was the
hero who was nominated, who had unfortunately committed suicide. Gone
(04:47):
for US health time committed suis I'd leave a ham
and their young daughter alone, and this is you know,
to help them, help get them through, you know, get
through these There's been some gut wrenching stories with some
of this stuff. We're glad and I you know, for me,
it's not just about this. I try to follow up
with these people as much as I can. You're after year.
Some of them I've been unable to. One of them
passed away shortly after they got the award, but but
(05:07):
following up, try to follow up and see where their
lives would go on and see what I can do
to help, you know, if there's anything else I can
do to help, you know, kind of behind the scenes,
and it just connects. I think it just connects people,
and I think that's great. One of the.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Things that you know, we we have here in Colorado
that I think in many cases, I've talked to so
many veterans' charities and there are so many veterans' charities
that do different things and they help different people. And
one of the things that you know, I want to
do a better job about. And I try to set
a show goal for the next year. So I'm already
(05:37):
looking at twenty twenty five, and I'm going to try
and feature a veteran's charity every month, just letting people
know what's out there, not necessarily so you are forced
to give them money. They all need money, trust me,
they would love a donation. But to also reinforce all
the veterans out there. There is so much help. A
vast majority of it is veteran directed. So it's like
you have these organizations. It pains me so much to
(06:01):
know that so many veterans are still struggling and that
our suicide rates are so high, when there are so
many people ready, willing and able. They're on the starting
blocks to help in any way you can. So if
you are a veteran or you know someone who's struggling,
first of all, reach out, just reach out, and there
aren't there are so many people who want to help you.
(06:23):
But this check would be a great way to honor
any veteran in your life, Old Yong veterans.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I think we've expanded to first responders to try to
help out with that. I'm aout one hundred on that,
but go ahead, and you know, go ahead and put
those nominations in any way by way at least, so
you know, you can go to ka Colorado dot com
slash contests and you'll see the little link there and
then you can you can put in the nomination stories.
This year, we're letting people do video nominations as well,
because somebody, you know, you don't necessarily want to sit
there and type out the war and piece of nomination
(06:51):
stories sometimes and sometimes it's easier just to say it,
you know. So we're letting people do video nominations too
if they want to do that, and accepting those. But yeah,
we have the money, we have the sponsors, We have
the ability to get this money out to people who
need We just don't know who needs it. So we
need you guys to step up to the plate and
tell us who needs it and we can get that
money out to them and hopefully make the holiday season
(07:11):
just a little bit brighter for people who need it.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
So I put a link at the very very bottom
of the blog. I put the video that you and
Nick Ferguson did together, and it has linked to the
contest page. So if you can't find it, just let
me know and I'll make sure that you get it.
I have another question, can people nominate themselves.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I don't see any reason why not has anyone ever
nominated themselves, and not till my knowledge, we read all
of them, and I don't remember anyone read. I don't remember.
I don't recall in six years of doing this, recall
reading anyone nominating themselves. And I think that there's kind
of a reticence to maybe do that sometimes, feeling like
you know, right, but yeah, you're absolutely nominated. So if
(07:49):
you need help, man, please feel free to nominated.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
We're not going to do that as just says ask
for help if you need it. Yeah, that's like the
new should be the new motto of the VA ask
for help if you need it. There's a billion people
waiting to help you, right, And so yeah, we're.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Not viewing that as there's anything on, you know, self aggrandizement.
If you're nominating yourself, I promise you, and I can
understand as a vet how you'd be hesitant to do
that sometimes, but no, please, if you if you need it,
please feel free to nominate yourself. We'd love to make
sure that that you know that you got the money
if you need it.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I nominate myself for stuff all the time. Most of
it's not stuff I'm qualified for, But you never know.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
I did dominate that.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
I can see true of the year. I don't know,
maybe you might, I can dry.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I believe exactly been all right.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Appreciate you, Appreciate this. Thanks for making time for us
to check that out.
Ben Albright, everybody, and it's time to talk about the heroes.
Thank you, which I keep calling a heroes welcome for
some reason. And I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
People have long compared me to a younger son.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Ever, not one time compared you to a younger hotter, Enrique,
except you you're looking in the mirror. You're like, am
I a younger hotter?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
In?
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Actually?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
But does that mean he's saying he's better on a podcast,
but when he's live he's gone awful? Is that I'm
saying I also dated Anna Krdkova?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
You wish let me come on.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Nobody buying that one either, No, nobody's buying that.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
You're not laying that down now. Ben Albright, who he
love to tease because he well all, he's created something
of a reputation for being that guy who likes to
argue and complain about things.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
M don't call me Tony Hcliff.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
But by the way, and what they don't know about
Ben Albright is his softer Inny goose Guey Center, the
part where you actually on occasion gets his little teeny
tiny heart to come up three sizes too big. And
then he does something super nice every year and that
is a Heroes thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, you know. I mean I think most people who
know me know I'm a veteran as well, and I
try to involve myself in a lot of veterans causes.
I'm actually gonna be mceing the Denver Veterans Day Parade
this year.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
That's very exciting for you.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So super yeah. I am super honored by that. Like
I'm actually like super yeah. Talked about it's like this
is like throwing out the first pitch for.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Me, you get to Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
But yeah, so Heroes thank You with something that it
was actually created by Jeff Johnson here and Jeff had
approached me about it when I first came on at
KOA because the first year had been done with some
other people and he knew as a VET, and I
was only like right away, yes, let's do this, let's
do this. And we have managed to expand this thing.
I mean like from the second year we did objectives
(01:52):
like triple We now give I think four times the
beneficiaries now because we get great sponsors for this stuff
every year. But basically we're handing out a couple of
thousand dollars checks twenty five hundred depending on the year whatever.
The sponsors are willing to get in there too, you know,
veterans and first responders to families in need around the
holiday season. And man, we love doing it. We get
some get to be some great people doing this and
(02:14):
surprise people. It's great. This is the surprise and the
people and just the emotional reaction they have.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
And let me ask you a question. How many of
the veterans that you have had a chance to go
give the giant check to and do we have an
account with a giant check?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Do we have a giant to have check? We don't.
By the way, you can't take those giant checks to
the banks. They will not care, just ignore you.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Look at why din't you just ride out on that
giant check? He wrote in ont Forge one of the
giant knobs kids. Not this year anyway, those charges have
been expunded. So how many of the guys or gals
that you've given checks too have said something along the
lines of, you know, somebody else should get that, because
that's my issue? And I say issue or with air
quotes with veterans is they always think somebody deserves it
(02:54):
more right.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
There's a lot of that privately, you know, that kind
of stuff. But to these nominations come in from their family,
so I don't want to do that, they don't want
to be so it kind of it kind of works
out that way, a little bit that we have to give.
You know, you can't give this away buddy your family. Yeah, exactly,
but there has been that. A matter of fact, we
did have one winner turned down their award and have
(03:16):
it donated somewhere else. We did have that.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
That's awesome. Don't get me wrong when I say that.
I always feel like I don't want to be the
person who makes a person who gets one of these
checks feel like, well, I have to donate it. No,
I want you to keep the money and spend it
however you want to spend it. But if it makes
you feel good to donate it and you can do that,
that's wonderful too. I never want to make someone feel
bad about getting one of these checks, because I think
(03:39):
that everybody that you've given them to. The stories are
heart wrenching.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
We do video of it.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
We put it on the blog later so you can
see it. It's just it's nice to appreciate people who
did most of them did their service and they just
are quietly going about their lives and not making a
big deal out of it and not you know, expecting anything, right,
And those to me are the people that deserve it the.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Most absolutely and get being able to be able to
do that and see you know, the faces. It's I
think it's a ve like. You don't want the constant adulation, right,
or at least I don't want to speak for all its
I don't want it, but I do as much as
I ham it up, you know, all the time. I
really don't and and but you do. It is nice
to be appreciated every once in a while and remember that, hey,
these people appreciate that I did this or that I
you know, those kinds of things, and it.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Is certainly is nice.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
And then the addition, you know, especially for the ones
that really needed it, there's been some just I mean
some gut wrenching stories on Some of these family lost
their home. This was able to float them. So this
money was able to float them through tell their insurance
came in because their home had burned in a fire.
There was a young lady whose husband had was the
hero who was nominated, who had unfortunately committed suicide. Gone
(04:47):
for US health time committed suis I'd leave a ham
and their young daughter alone, and this is you know,
to help them, help get them through, you know, get
through these There's been some gut wrenching stories with some
of this stuff. We're glad and I you know, for me,
it's not just about this. I try to follow up
with these people as much as I can. You're after year.
Some of them I've been unable to. One of them
passed away shortly after they got the award, but but
(05:07):
following up, try to follow up and see where their
lives would go on and see what I can do
to help, you know, if there's anything else I can
do to help, you know, kind of behind the scenes,
and it just connects. I think it just connects people,
and I think that's great. One of the.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Things that you know, we we have here in Colorado
that I think in many cases, I've talked to so
many veterans' charities and there are so many veterans' charities
that do different things and they help different people. And
one of the things that you know, I want to
do a better job about. And I try to set
a show goal for the next year. So I'm already
(05:37):
looking at twenty twenty five, and I'm going to try
and feature a veteran's charity every month, just letting people
know what's out there, not necessarily so you are forced
to give them money. They all need money, trust me,
they would love a donation. But to also reinforce all
the veterans out there. There is so much help. A
vast majority of it is veteran directed. So it's like
you have these organizations. It pains me so much to
(06:01):
know that so many veterans are still struggling and that
our suicide rates are so high, when there are so
many people ready, willing and able. They're on the starting
blocks to help in any way you can. So if
you are a veteran or you know someone who's struggling,
first of all, reach out, just reach out, and there
aren't there are so many people who want to help you.
(06:23):
But this check would be a great way to honor
any veteran in your life, Old Yong veterans.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I think we've expanded to first responders to try to
help out with that. I'm aout one hundred on that,
but go ahead, and you know, go ahead and put
those nominations in any way by way at least, so
you know, you can go to ka Colorado dot com
slash contests and you'll see the little link there and
then you can you can put in the nomination stories.
This year, we're letting people do video nominations as well,
because somebody, you know, you don't necessarily want to sit
there and type out the war and piece of nomination
(06:51):
stories sometimes and sometimes it's easier just to say it,
you know. So we're letting people do video nominations too
if they want to do that, and accepting those. But yeah,
we have the money, we have the sponsors, We have
the ability to get this money out to people who
need We just don't know who needs it. So we
need you guys to step up to the plate and
tell us who needs it and we can get that
money out to them and hopefully make the holiday season
(07:11):
just a little bit brighter for people who need it.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
So I put a link at the very very bottom
of the blog. I put the video that you and
Nick Ferguson did together, and it has linked to the
contest page. So if you can't find it, just let
me know and I'll make sure that you get it.
I have another question, can people nominate themselves.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I don't see any reason why not has anyone ever
nominated themselves, and not till my knowledge, we read all
of them, and I don't remember anyone read. I don't remember.
I don't recall in six years of doing this, recall
reading anyone nominating themselves. And I think that there's kind
of a reticence to maybe do that sometimes, feeling like
you know, right, but yeah, you're absolutely nominated. So if
(07:49):
you need help, man, please feel free to nominated.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
We're not going to do that as just says ask
for help if you need it. Yeah, that's like the
new should be the new motto of the VA ask
for help if you need it. There's a billion people
waiting to help you, right, And so yeah, we're.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Not viewing that as there's anything on, you know, self aggrandizement.
If you're nominating yourself, I promise you, and I can
understand as a vet how you'd be hesitant to do
that sometimes, but no, please, if you if you need it,
please feel free to nominate yourself. We'd love to make
sure that that you know that you got the money
if you need it.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I nominate myself for stuff all the time. Most of
it's not stuff I'm qualified for, But you never know.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
I did dominate that.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
I can see true of the year. I don't know,
maybe you might, I can dry.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I believe exactly been all right.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Appreciate you, Appreciate this. Thanks for making time for us
to check that out.
The Mandy Connell Podcast News
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