Plainfield Veteran's Legacy: Saving Other Vets With Service Dogs

PLAINFIELD, IL — In addition to serving his country, Cpl. Brandon Meyers had a passion for cars. The Marine, who served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, was in the process of restoring his beloved 1968 Chevelle when he lost his battle with PTSD in 2013. In his honor, later this month, the 6th annual CPL Brandon Meyers Memorial Car Show will return to Craft'd, 16031 South Lincoln Highway, to raise money to provide service dogs to veterans grappling with similar issues.

The car show is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 14, at the restaurant. Residents are invited to bring their car, truck or motorcycle to show it off.

Proceeds benefit Bubbas Dogs For Warriors, a charity mother Wendy Meyers established in her son's name to provide service animals for veterans with PTSD.

Registration fees are $20 or $15 for those who have served in the armed forces. Spectators get in free.

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More than 20 awards will be given out in multiple categories. There will also be raffle prizes and silent auction items.

This year's event will have an outdoor tent with food, soda and water.

Meyers, a 2006 Plainfield Central graduate known to family and friends as "Bubba," was just 25 years old when he took his own life on June 28, 2013. A 2016 analysis from the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that 20 veterans commit suicide each day in the United States — and other estimates put the number even higher, according to Bubba's Dog's For Warriors.

A GoFundMe campaign launched in Brandon's memory was created in 2014 to benefit Bubba's Dogs For Warriors and has raised thousands of dollars to date.

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