06/16/2021
House of Harley-Davidson Owner Launches Gratitude Foundation to Help Public Safety
Non-profit announces fundraising campaign for Milwaukee Fire Department Intensive Training
(June 16, 2021) Milwaukee – Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it, said the American writer William Arthur Ward.
Milwaukee’s premier Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership often thanks first responders, and now they are making it official by launching the “Gratitude Foundation.” The Gratitude Foundation, officially designated as a 501c3, focuses on what is good in the community by helping to connect people with organizations and initiatives that work for the betterment of all.
Established in 2021, the Foundation will express Gratitude annually by supporting an organization close to its heart. This year, the Foundation is raising money to enable Milwaukee Firefighters to attend a critical advanced firefighting training, the “Responder Intervention Team Training Initiative” at the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Because of a pervasive lack of funding for public safety, Milwaukee Firefighters are currently paying the $2,000 tuition for this specialized training out of their own pockets. Please see this short, dramatic video to see how this fire training saves lives: https://youtu.be/mKvHSA9dSCE It’s not an exaggeration to say the more firefighters who can attend, the more lives can be saved.
“My father James P. Binkert served in a small volunteer firehouse while I was growing up, and that left a lasting impression on me,” said Jeff Binkert, president of the House of Harley-Davidson and founder of the Gratitude Foundation.
Jeff’s father, James P. Binkert joined the Lake Geneva volunteer fire department in 1966 and worked his way through the ranks until he was named Fire Chief in 1999. When he died at the age of 61, his body was carried to the cemetery in a 1947 Pirsch fire engine.
“I always have hoped to be able to pay tribute to the profession he devoted his life to,” Jeff Binkert said. “And I know this training through IFSI will carry on his legacy to this next generation of firefighters.)
Following is a link to the Gratitude Foundation’s GoFundMe page, which was created by the Foundation to help facilitate community donations to this initiative benefitting the Milwaukee Fire Department: https://gofund.me/db77c638 Fully 100% of all money raised will go to the firefighters’ tuition for this vital training.
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Click the link below to view a short video describing the Responder Interv… Jeff Binkert needs your support for 2021 Milwaukee Fire Critical Training Campaign
