Virginia Beach • Awareness Fundraiser Event
100% of proceeds support the Hold the Reins mission
Awareness Fundraiser Event
Virginia Beach, We Have a Mission to Share
Hold the Reins is a nonprofit organization built by Navy SEALs, for the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community. Using equine-assisted wellness and coaching, Hold the Reins serves Navy SEALs, SWCC, EOD, and their families — active duty and veterans alike. What happens between a human and a horse cannot be explained. It has to be experienced.
This event is about bringing that experience to Virginia Beach. It's an afternoon of connection, conversation, and community, centered on a mission that is quietly saving lives and strengthening families.
Tickets are $50 and every dollar raised goes directly to supporting the Hold the Reins program. Come curious, come hungry, and come ready to be moved.
📍 Event Location
Lendy's 2.0
4701 Shore Dr
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
I feel like I found my long-lost family.— Sergio Lopez, Retired Navy SEAL & Director of Community Engagement, Hold the Reins
What's in Store
What to Expect
Your Donation
Every $50 ticket is a direct donation to Hold the Reins — who in turn provides life-changing equine wellness programs for NSW veterans, active duty, and their families.
Food Included
Enjoy a great spread at Lendy's 2.0 — food is included with every ticket.
2 Drink Tickets
Two drink tickets included with every ticket. Kick back and enjoy the afternoon on us.
Live Band
Enjoy live music setting the perfect tone for an unforgettable afternoon with the Virginia Beach community.
Equine Experience
Get up close with the horses at the heart of the Hold the Reins mission — and understand why a horse can reach where nothing else can.
Real Stories
Hear directly from participants and their families whose lives have been transformed by the Hold the Reins program.
The Mission
About Hold the Reins
Founded by Navy SEAL Mike Hall, Hold the Reins was built to address two heartbreaking realities in the special warfare community: divorce and suicide. The program provides early intervention tools through equine-assisted wellness, helping Navy SEALs, SWCC, EOD, and their families build the "Leader of Self" mentality that carries them through the toughest chapters of their lives.
Horses offer something no classroom can — immediate, honest, non-judgmental feedback. Through natural horsemanship, participants develop emotional regulation, communication skills, trust, and resilience. Every participant is paired with a mentor after their first visit to continue that growth at home. The results speak for themselves.
Learn more: holdthereins.org
In Their Own Words
What This Program Does
"Kind of empty — even though I was going to school and had great friends and family, something was missing... purpose. Hold the Reins gave me that. It improved my leadership as a man and as a father. My connection with God and faith has grown exponentially. I became better in every relationship in my life. You will be a better person on the other side. Go there and experience this awesomeness for yourself — I guarantee you are going to want everyone you care about to taste this experience."
— Sergio Lopez, Retired Navy SEAL & One of Hold the Reins' Earliest Participants
"For all the bad sh*t I have had to see in my life... this new memory is f*cking priceless."
— David M., NSW Community Member
"The inside world creates the outside world, and nothing shows you the truth of yours more than a magnificent horse."
— Brandon R., Navy SEAL
The People Behind This Event
Men of Mission
Mike Hall
Retired Navy SEAL • Founder & CEO
Mike Hall founded Hold the Reins after recognizing two devastating realities tearing through the special warfare community — divorce and suicide. A retired Navy SEAL and natural horseman, Mike built a program that uses equine-assisted wellness and coaching to help warriors and their families find purpose, healing, and connection. What began as a vision to save lives has grown into a movement reaching operators and their families across the country. His leadership, his heart, and his relentless drive are the foundation that everything Hold the Reins is built on.
Rich Garner
Retired Navy SEAL • President, Hold the Reins
Rich Garner was raised on a working cattle ranch in the high desert of eastern Oregon — a real cowboy in every sense of the word. A BUD/S Class 132 graduate, Rich answered his country's call as a Navy SEAL before returning to his roots with horses. The Garner family brand has been in use for over 100 years. A competitor in the Supreme Mustang Makeover and a dedicated advocate for mustang adoption in southern Virginia, Rich brings the horsemanship, the land, and the heart that make Hold the Reins unlike anything else in the world.
Sergio Lopez
Retired Navy SEAL • Director of Community Engagement, Hold the Reins • One of HTR's Earliest Participants
A Navy SEAL who knows firsthand that life's greatest battles are sometimes fought after the mission ends, Sergio brings to this event two decades of service and a personal story of resilience that makes Hold the Reins' mission mean everything to him. As one of Hold the Reins' earliest participants, this program found him — and changed his life. Currently pursuing his degree at Harvard University, Sergio is proof that the warrior spirit never quits.
📚 Cheating Death: A Navy SEAL's Story of Perseverance →
🎥 Watch My Story →
The Venue
Lendy's 2.0 — Shore Drive
📍 How to Find Us
Lendy's 2.0
4701 Shore Dr
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Located right on Shore Drive — Lendy's 2.0 brings Virginia Beach community and character together. Plenty of parking and a space big enough to match the mission.
Lendy's 2.0
4701 Shore Dr
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
🗺 Open in Google Maps
Can't Make It?
Still Make a Difference
Can't make it in person? You can still support Hold the Reins and the life-changing work they do for the NSW community and their families. Every dollar makes a difference.
Donate to Hold the ReinsHold the Reins is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit • Tax ID# 93-3980054
Reserve Your Spot
Saturday, October 24, 2026 — secure your ticket now and be part of something that matters.
Get Tickets on EventbriteAll proceeds benefit Hold the Reins programs for veterans and their families.