How shared experience plays a role in helping people reset under sustained stress

Guest:	Steve Weintraub
Title:	Chief Strategy Officer for Veteran Tickets Foundation
Summary:	Sustained stress is a reality for many veterans, first responders and federal employees. New data from the Veteran Tickets Foundation looks at how shared live experiences help people reset and reconnect, particularly when formal systems move slowly or unevenly.

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Interview transcript

Eric White So yeah, the name is pretty self-explanatory, getting tickets to different events for veterans to help with some entertainment and scratch that itch that a lot of us have to get out of the house. Can we just take a step back a little bit and find out a little more about the organization and how this all got started?

Steve Weintraub Yeah, absolutely. So it was created in 2008 locally in Tempe, Arizona, which is a part of Phoenix, and our founder, Navy veteran, Mike Focareto, he created the organization, it was his brainchild. And our mission is give something to those who gave. He was at the Super Bowl in Glendale in 2008 and with his buddy, who’s a veteran, and they noticed that there was several, a lot of empty seats at the super bowl and he was working on a community project and he bumped up that project to where it’s like, hey, we need to be thanking our veterans and service members. And if we can do that by sending them to events as a way to thank them for their service and sacrifice, make up for that lost time, that was his, his mission. And since then, we’ve grown exponentially.

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Eric White And yeah, you all just did a sort of impact study to find out if what you’re doing is working. And I’m sure that there’s positive feedback all around, but what can you tell me about what you all received as far as feedback and just what it means to help out people who may not be able to afford a Super Bowl ticket?

Steve Weintraub Yeah, and our impact study was actually administered by a third party organization. So it was external and they surveyed over 1600 of our Vet Tix and First Tix members and asking them different questions about, you know, attending live events with their family and friends and the impact it has on their relationship, on their well-being and just overall mental fitness. And the results were that by attending these live events with family and friends, it actually helps them with their wellbeing and their relationships. And so the more of these live event they attend, the higher the scores were. And look, we know that a lot of veterans, a lot service members don’t like crowds. They don’t, like going out. But what we’ve also gleaned though this study is that that actually helps them with their isolation, with their resiliency, with the reintegration.

Eric White Yeah, that’s the point I wanted to touch on because not that it’s a — I wouldn’t necessarily call it a cliche — but not a lot of veterans like to, you know, toot their own horn or stick their head out to, put themselves out there like that. But you know during the game, I’ve been to them, where they take a moment to pause and everybody stands up and gives the due applause to them. What does that part of it mean to a lot people who, like I said, don’t necessarily wanna try to look for a thank you, but it does, I’m sure, help knowing that people recognize their sacrifice.

Steve Weintraub Yeah, that’s a great observation because a lot of times, you have these veterans, they don’t want to be in the spotlight and I’m the same way. But from a recognition standpoint, because I mean, I’m not speaking for all veterans or all service members, but when you leave the military, when you leave service, a lot veterans, they lose their sense of purpose and it’s a challenge. So when at these events, if there’s a moment to recognize their service, that’s a great thing. And for us at Vet Tix and First Tix, we don’t use them as props. It’s, hey, go to the event with your family, your friends, have a good time, relax, de-stress, unplug, and that’s it. We’re not asking you to be showcased, things like that. And if, you have that donor at that event, they wanna recognize you, even better.

Eric White We’re speaking with Steve Weintraub. He is the chief strategy officer for Veteran Tickets Foundation, or Vet Tix. And yeah, that sense of community that helps build as well, I’ve done it in my work and in my personal life where you introduce one veteran to another and all of a sudden, it’s like you built a friendship for life. I imagine that a lot of connections have been made just from having to sit next to a person who may have served in a different branch or a different area. Have you seen positivity from that standpoint as well?

Steve Weintraub Yeah, absolutely, because the cool thing again about our program is that these tickets are donated and they’re donated by teams, leagues, performers, promoters, venues, private donors that have season tickets that they’re not going to use. But a lot of times these tickets are in the same sections, rows, blocks. So whether you realize it or not, you’re sitting with other veterans, service members, first responders. So you’re like, hey, that dude, he kind of talks like me, kind of acts like me. And then it’s like, oh, yeah, we’re in the Vet Tix section. So you’re sitting among your tribe, whether you realize it or not. And a lot of times that gives them, again, that sense of brotherhood, sisterhood, and they let their guard down a little bit more because again, it’s, like, hey, we wore the same cloth, maybe not in the same service or whatever, and we may not be rooting for the same team, but again, there’s that bond instantly.

Eric White Yeah, and not to overblow the importance because obviously the needs are many, but those that are going through a troubling time as veterans, this could be something to kind of build on to look forward to, like I said, help build that sense of community. You all did in the survey ask about the improvements towards mental health and how these sorts of events can aid in that capacity. Just anything you can add on that?

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Steve Weintraub Yeah, look, and there’s no panacea sometimes for these challenges that veterans or other people have regarding isolation or resiliency, building bonds and things like that. But this is our way of helping with that. Give something to those who gave, and this is how we can give back. And when they’re at these events, if they start talking to the person next to them or in front of them, behind them and building those bonds. And we have seen that through our over 2 and a half million thank you testimonials how it’s helped them build new relationships with people, with complete strangers when they walked in the building and when they walked out, again, they’re making plans to meet up again for something new.

Eric White Let’s take a moment to also acknowledge the generosity of those that do donate tickets and the organizations that you all work with. We’re located here in the D.C. region. I’m sure that there are plenty of people that have tried to work with you all. Who among them are there?

Steve Weintraub Yeah, in the D.C. area, some of our partners/donors are the Wizards and the Capitals and the Capital One Arena. So not only Wizards and Caps games, but also other events at the Capital one arena. We have a great partnership with the Commanders and you know, a little bit outside of there, the Ravens, the Orioles, the Nationals. And that’s on the sporting side. But again, there’s a lot of concerts and performing arts, a lot performing arts in the DC area. So we get a lot of our donors are in performing arts, family events, things like that. And you never know, you sign up, you create an account and you get notified of events in your local area. And you just never know what events are going to pop up and you don’t know where your seats are until you download your tickets. So they might be, you know, courtside or against the glass or they might up in the rafters. You just never know.

Eric White Yep, my son’s a big Monster Jam fan, so I believe I saw you all at the most recent monster truck event.

Steve Weintraub Yeah, yeah, I mean, and that’s, again, it’s like Monster Jam, Disney on Ice, Harlem Globetrotters, because we want to make sure that there’s a balance, there’s a quality spread of different types of events, because we know that not everybody’s into sports, not everybody is into concerts or live music or whatever. But when you want to take your kids to these events, it’s important, so we want make sure we have those types of event available.

Eric White Let’s get the word out here for folks that may want to join up to see if they can get some tickets to events and anybody who would like to help get involved and help the organization.

Steve Weintraub Yeah, absolutely, and it’s free to sign up at vettix.org, and if you’re currently serving military, that includes Guard and Reserve, or an honorably discharged veteran, you’re eligible. On the First Tix side, 1stTix.org. If you’re a first responder, if you are a federal first responder, state, local, municipal, the same thing. You’re eligible, you sign up, you create an account. It’s free to join and then you get notified of events in your area. It’s that easy.

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