Reported by Mitchell Kabakow for Flatiron Hot! News
At the New York City Seminar and Conference Center and its sponsored hyperlocal blog, Flatiron Hot! News, we have always been committed to helping and highlighting charitable causes and organizations in the community. One such cause that is especially relevant is that of veterans’ care and reintegration. The Flatiron District is home to a number of veterans who have proudly served
Sabot Group – Helping Veterans re-integrate!
our country. Unfortunately, when these veterans return home, they often are denied the care they need to help them reintegrate into civilian life and to handle the wounds they may have sustained, both physical and mental. One organization that is attempting to remedy this situation is the Sabot Group, a racing team and lifestyle brand that works with veterans to help them readjust by bringing them into the exciting world of motorsports. We talked to one of the Sabot Group’s founders, Jon Krashna, to understand the group’s mission and goals.
Jon is a media entrepreneur who has many years’ experience in the TV, film, and music industries. He also has worked with private tactical training groups. In part, it was this experience that brought Jon into the veterans movement and led him to co-found the Sabot Group in January 2017 with Hammond Meredith, a fellow philanthropist, off-road racer, and the great great grandson of Edwin
Working with Veterans
T. Meredith, the founder of the Meredith Corporation. With a growing number of veterans in the United States committing to multiple deployments due to the post-September 11th global war on terror and the longest war in our nation’s history in Afghanistan, Jon and Hammond felt a need to take action to assist returning veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters. This now includes World War II and Vietnam veterans, as well.
The Sabot Group is an off-road racing and lifestyle brand that aims to help veterans by bringing them into a fun and fast-paced environment. Frequent deployments due to the war on terror have led to many veterans being diagnosed with PTSD. More than 22 veterans commit suicide every day due to PTSD and other combat-related afflictions. Jon stated that that while traditional therapies can be effective, they often don’t provide veterans with an improvement in quality of life. By being involved with the Sabot racing team, veterans are able to live an active lifestyle. Jon stated that unlike other organizations that encourage the veterans to sit and discuss their war experiences, the Sabot Group allows veterans to have a good time by bringing them to an exciting environment. They stay in great hotels, have interesting experiences and just let loose away from the grind to give themselves a break. As Jon told us in the interview, “We feel that getting them [the veterans] out of their environments from home, and putting them into these more exciting environments…and the racing aspect of it gives them some meaning and purpose. We see that in their faces, we see that because they reach back out to us.” The race team, led by lead driver Hammond Meredith, has participated in over 10 races so far and they are planning to compete in the upcoming 20thAnniversary 3,000-mile Gumball Rally from London to Tokyo on August 3-12.
The Sabot Group, through the Sabot Foundation, works with a number of other charities focusing on veteran and transition issues. The organization also donates funds (close to a quarter of a million dollars in the last 11 months) and works to raise awareness for other veterans programs 
such as the upcoming 2019DOD WarriorGames hosted by the United States Special Operations Command. The Sabot Group’s outreach includes social media efforts and reaching out to other organizations. Jon also works with private companies such as Capital One, Invisible Bully, Bad Boy Entertainment, Aqua Hydrate, Hollywood Cinema Production Resources and Oakley. Jon’s long-term goals include getting more businesses on board as well as getting involved with the higher echelons of the military command structure to explore new ways of working together. As Jon put it, “I believe that basically that it is the duty of every single American in this country to take notice [of] the veterans, and I think in one way or another they do, but more than just thank you for your service and a pat on the back.” Jon highly encourages business to do things for veterans like giving discounts or funding legitimate organizations that work with veterans’ issues. If you are interested in contacting Sabot or learning more about their organization, visit them at http://sabotgroup.com.
NYC Theater News
The Sabot Group Uses Auto Racing to Help Veterans
Reported by Mitchell Kabakow for Flatiron Hot! News
At the New York City Seminar and Conference Center and its sponsored hyperlocal blog, Flatiron Hot! News, we have always been committed to helping and highlighting charitable causes and organizations in the community. One such cause that is especially relevant is that of veterans’ care and reintegration. The Flatiron District is home to a number of veterans who have proudly served
Sabot Group – Helping Veterans re-integrate!
our country. Unfortunately, when these veterans return home, they often are denied the care they need to help them reintegrate into civilian life and to handle the wounds they may have sustained, both physical and mental. One organization that is attempting to remedy this situation is the Sabot Group, a racing team and lifestyle brand that works with veterans to help them readjust by bringing them into the exciting world of motorsports. We talked to one of the Sabot Group’s founders, Jon Krashna, to understand the group’s mission and goals.
Jon is a media entrepreneur who has many years’ experience in the TV, film, and music industries. He also has worked with private tactical training groups. In part, it was this experience that brought Jon into the veterans movement and led him to co-found the Sabot Group in January 2017 with Hammond Meredith, a fellow philanthropist, off-road racer, and the great great grandson of Edwin
Working with Veterans
T. Meredith, the founder of the Meredith Corporation. With a growing number of veterans in the United States committing to multiple deployments due to the post-September 11th global war on terror and the longest war in our nation’s history in Afghanistan, Jon and Hammond felt a need to take action to assist returning veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters. This now includes World War II and Vietnam veterans, as well.
The Sabot Group is an off-road racing and lifestyle brand that aims to help veterans by bringing them into a fun and fast-paced environment. Frequent deployments due to the war on terror have led to many veterans being diagnosed with PTSD. More than 22 veterans commit suicide every day due to PTSD and other combat-related afflictions. Jon stated that that while traditional therapies can be effective, they often don’t provide veterans with an improvement in quality of life. By being involved with the Sabot racing team, veterans are able to live an active lifestyle. Jon stated that unlike other organizations that encourage the veterans to sit and discuss their war experiences, the Sabot Group allows veterans to have a good time by bringing them to an exciting environment. They stay in great hotels, have interesting experiences and just let loose away from the grind to give themselves a break. As Jon told us in the interview, “We feel that getting them [the veterans] out of their environments from home, and putting them into these more exciting environments…and the racing aspect of it gives them some meaning and purpose. We see that in their faces, we see that because they reach back out to us.” The race team, led by lead driver Hammond Meredith, has participated in over 10 races so far and they are planning to compete in the upcoming 20thAnniversary 3,000-mile Gumball Rally from London to Tokyo on August 3-12.
The Sabot Group, through the Sabot Foundation, works with a number of other charities focusing on veteran and transition issues. The organization also donates funds (close to a quarter of a million dollars in the last 11 months) and works to raise awareness for other veterans programs
such as the upcoming 2019DOD WarriorGames hosted by the United States Special Operations Command. The Sabot Group’s outreach includes social media efforts and reaching out to other organizations. Jon also works with private companies such as Capital One, Invisible Bully, Bad Boy Entertainment, Aqua Hydrate, Hollywood Cinema Production Resources and Oakley. Jon’s long-term goals include getting more businesses on board as well as getting involved with the higher echelons of the military command structure to explore new ways of working together. As Jon put it, “I believe that basically that it is the duty of every single American in this country to take notice [of] the veterans, and I think in one way or another they do, but more than just thank you for your service and a pat on the back.” Jon highly encourages business to do things for veterans like giving discounts or funding legitimate organizations that work with veterans’ issues. If you are interested in contacting Sabot or learning more about their organization, visit them at http://sabotgroup.com.