Our events bring veterans, first responders, families, supporters, and communities together around something bigger than a single gathering. They create connection, preserve stories, build relationships, and turn support into action.
Two days dedicated to service, connection, and impact. The 2026 Pillars of Valor Dinner & Hunt will bring together veterans, first responders, families, supporters, and community leaders for an experience built around honoring those who serve and strengthening the community around them.
October 1 · Victoria, Minnesota
October 2 · Watertown, Minnesota
An evening built around service, sacrifice, connection, and the people behind the mission.
The Pillars of Valor Foundation Dinner brings together veterans, first responders, families, community leaders, and supporters for an evening dedicated to honoring service and creating meaningful impact.
More than a fundraiser, the evening is an opportunity to hear the stories behind the uniform, recognize those who continue to serve their communities, and build the relationships that allow the Foundation's mission to move forward.
Evening Program
Pillars of Valor Foundation Dinner
Supporting veterans, first responders, and their families.
Recognizing the service, sacrifice, and legacy of veterans and first responders.
Hearing directly from people whose experiences demonstrate courage, leadership, and service.
Honoring those who cannot be with us through the POW/MIA Missing Man Table.
Building the support that allows the Foundation to create experiences, preserve stories, and serve our communities.
We don't gather simply to recognize service. We gather to make sure it continues to matter.
A morning built around camaraderie, conversation, and the kind of connection that happens when people share an experience together.
The Pillars of Valor Foundation Hunt brings veterans, first responders, supporters, and partners into the field for a morning centered on fellowship, purpose, and meaningful relationships.
The hunt is not simply the activity. It is the opportunity to spend time together, build trust, share stories, and create the kind of connection that can continue long after the day ends.
Arrival, check-in, and preparation.
Teams head into the field.
Wrap-up and closing connection.
Sometimes the most meaningful conversations do not happen across a table or behind a microphone. They happen shoulder to shoulder. The hunt creates space for veterans, first responders, families, and supporters to connect naturally through a shared experience.
Bringing people together in an environment where relationships can develop naturally.
Creating space for conversations, shared experiences, and new relationships.
Using the experience to strengthen the community surrounding those who have served.
The hunt may bring us together. The relationships built there are what carry the mission forward.
The people on stage are not there simply to speak. They are there to share experiences shaped by service, leadership, sacrifice, and the responsibility to carry those lessons forward.
A decorated Air Force critical care nurse whose service has placed her at the intersection of medicine, leadership, and combat operations.
Katie's story is one of preparation under pressure, caring for others in extraordinary circumstances, and answering the call when the stakes could not be higher.
A Marine officer whose career was shaped by leadership, accountability, and the responsibility that comes with leading others in demanding environments.
Brad brings a perspective rooted in service, resilience, and the enduring responsibility leaders carry for the people entrusted to them.
Before we celebrate service, we remember those who cannot be with us.
During the evening, Pillars of Valor will recognize the POW/MIA Missing Man Table—a place of honor reserved for the service members who are prisoners of war, missing in action, or who never returned home.
Every element of the table carries meaning. Together, they serve as a reminder of sacrifice, absence, and our responsibility to remember those who served and the families who continue to carry their legacy.
Represents those who are missing and unable to join us.
Symbolizes the purity of their intentions when answering the call to serve.
Represents the lives of the missing and the loved ones who continue to await their return.
Represents our continued determination to account for those who remain missing.
The lemon recalls the bitterness of their fate; the salt represents the tears of those who wait.
Reminds us that those we honor cannot raise a glass with us tonight.
Their absence has a place at our table.YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN.
Their service has a place in our memory.
An evening centered on remembrance, leadership, connection, and the mission of the Pillars of Valor Foundation.
Guests arrive, connect, and explore the evening's silent auction before the formal program begins.
The formal evening opens by honoring our nation and those who have served in its defense.
A moment of remembrance honoring prisoners of war, those missing in action, and those who never returned home.
Guests gather around the table as the evening moves into conversation, connection, and shared purpose.
A look at why Pillars of Valor exists, the work of the Foundation, and how Project Valor preserves the people and stories behind service.
A story shaped by service, critical care, leadership, and answering the call in extraordinary circumstances.
A perspective on leadership, accountability, resilience, service, and the responsibility we carry for others.
A deeper conversation about the lessons service leaves behind, how leadership carries forward, and what it means to live with purpose.
Closing remarks and the conclusion of the formal evening program.
