Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Kenneth Knabenshue Wins Rare Life Survival Award
U.S. Army veteran trains service dogs for fellow service members
Press release
Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has named Kenneth Knabenshue of Lawrenceburg, Tenn. as the winner of the 2016 Rare Life Survival Award. Eagle Rare will donate $5,000 to Knabenshue’s charity, Working Dogs for Vets – which matches animals and veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
After being discharged from the U.S. Army, Kenneth Knabenshue was involved in a disabling automobile accident. His physician recommended that he get a service dog, but Kenneth quickly learned that doing so would not be quick and it would be expensive. The cost of a service dog was between $12,000 and $15,000 along with spending up to five years on a waiting list while the animal is trained and certified.
An award-winning dog trainer prior to his Army career, Knabenshue decided to train his own service dog, bypassing the long wait and expense. Given his personal experience of being disabled and needing a service dog and knowing there were others with similar needs, Knabenshue launched Working Dogs for Vets to match veterans suffering from PTSD with service animals, free of charge. The program is made up of a network of volunteers who meet one-on-one with veterans and help them train their own service animals. Working Dogs for Vets has trained hundreds of animals in the last five years and continues to support veterans and animals alike.
“It is a pleasure to receive this award and to be recognized for the work we are doing,” said Knabenshue. “But the real winners are all the veterans who are able to get the support they need during training and have a great service animal at their side daily.” To learn more about Working Dogs for Vets, visit http://www.workingdogsforvets.org/
The Rare Life Award is an annual recognition program created to honor individuals who exhibit courage, leadership, survival, devotion, character and heroism. Candidates are nominated by friends, family and colleagues. Their stories and photos are posted online at www.eaglerarelife.com, where visitors vote on these inspirational stories.
Knabenshue was among the top 20 nominees, selected from 208 stories submitted through the Rare Life website. The Grand Prize 2016 Rare Life Award winner is Hershel “Woody” Williams, founder of The Hershel “Woody" Williams Medal of Honor Foundation in Ona, W.V. Williams will receive a $50,000 donation to his charity which pays tribute to the family members left behind when a soldier is killed during combat.
Knabenshue was one of six runners-up receiving $5,000 to their charities of choice, with each runner-up awarded for embodying a distinct characteristic of a Rare Life: Courage, Leadership, Heroism, Character, Devotion and Survival. Eagle Rare’s prize donations for 2016 total $80,000. This is the sixth year for the Rare Life campaign, and the 2016 awards will bring total grants to date for charities to $320,000.
The other 2016 runners-up are:
Jason Redman of Norfolk, Va.: Heroism Award for Combat Wounded Coalition
Robin Ganzert of D.C.: Leadership Award for American Humane Association
Laura Leigh of Reno, Nev.: Courage Award for Wild Horse Education
Mai Christy of Milwaukee, OR: Character Award for Camp Courage
Elizabeth Lumsden of San Bernadino, Calif.: Devotion Award for Operation Destination Homebound
About Eagle Rare Bourbon
Eagle Rare Bourbon Whiskey is part of the award-winning Buffalo Trace Distillery, an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, (Franklin County), Kentucky. The Distillery's rich distilling tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Eagle Rare Bourbon is a 10-year-old bourbon that has won multiple awards, including five double gold medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. To learn more about Eagle Rare visit www.eaglerarelife.com.
