Upcoming events.
Always Beside You Gala
GALA
❧This is not a fundraiser. It's a rescue.
Every day, veterans come home carrying wounds the world cannot see. Southern Cross Service Dogs trains and places highly skilled service dogs with disabled veterans — at no cost, for life. These dogs are not pets. They are precision-trained partners that pull a veteran back from the edge and give them their life again. On October 3rd, every seat filled and every dollar raised puts another dog beside another veteran who is still waiting.
Always Beside You — that's the promise. Tonight, we keep it.
It started with one Marine and one dog.
Southern Cross was founded by Brandon Marquez, a Marine Special Operations canine handler. Over seven years and four tours, his multi-purpose canine Shimanski went first into danger at his side — from braving heavy fire in Sangin, Afghanistan, to searching buildings in Mosul, Iraq. Shimanski was honored in Washington with the Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery.
When Brandon came home and faced the weight of post-traumatic stress, Shimanski was still beside him — the steady presence, alongside his family, that pulled him through.
That is the mission this evening exists to fund: more dogs, beside more veterans, for the rest of their lives.
Sponsorships
Our leadership levels carry a benefit no other gala can offer: name your own service dog and follow its journey from puppy to placement, with your team as its puppy raisers.
- Name your own service dog & follow its full journey to a veteran
- Your employees serve as the dog's puppy raisers
- Title naming: "[Company] presents the 2026 Gala"
- Featured in all event materials & communications
- Two reserved tables (16–20 seats)
- Private pre-event reception with board & honorees
- Invitation to VIP reception
- Custom post-event impact report
- Name your own service dog & follow its journey to a veteran
- Your employees serve as the dog's puppy raisers
- Co-presented recognition throughout the event
- One and a half reserved tables (12–15 seats)
- Speaking moment or video recognition at dinner
- Year-round digital recognition
- Invitation to VIP reception
- Named dog sponsorship displayed at event
- One reserved table for 10
- Recognition in video program
- Invitation to VIP reception
- Named recognition on stage
- One reserved table for 8
- Program & digital recognition
- Invitation to VIP reception
- One reserved table for 8
- Logo recognition in materials
- Social media recognition
- Invitation to VIP reception
- One reserved table for 8
- Digital & program recognition
- Acknowledgment from stage
- Invitation to VIP reception
Tables & Seats
Reserve your place at the Always Beside You Gala — or send a veteran or first responder in your stead.
Schedule of the Evening
Saturday, October 3, 2026 · Bonnet Creek Ballroom, Waldorf Astoria Orlando
Stay & play at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando
Gala guests enjoy special rates at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Signia by Hilton Bonnet Creek — and a few optional ways to extend the weekend.
Golf Outing
Play the championship course on Friday before the gala.
Resort & Pool
Unwind at the resort on Saturday before the evening's program.
Our Host Committee
The "Always Beside You" Gala is championed by community leaders, business executives, and friends of Southern Cross who lend their name and their networks to this mission.
Every seat is a veteran's second chance.
Join us for an unforgettable evening — and put another dog beside another veteran who is still waiting.
Always Beside You Golf Tournament
Join us for the Always Beside You Golf Tournament, an inspiring day on the course in support of Southern Cross Service Dogs and the veterans we proudly serve. This annual fundraising tournament brings together golfers, sponsors, and supporters for a memorable experience that makes a real and lasting impact.
Enjoy a beautiful round of golf at the prestigious West Orange Country Club while helping provide highly trained service dogs to veterans at no cost. Every swing, sponsorship, and shared moment helps strengthen independence, confidence, and connection for those who have served our country.
Event Highlights
Morning tee‑off with fellow supporters and community leaders
Opportunities to connect with SCSD’s mission and impact
Sponsorship packages available for individuals and businesses
A meaningful way to support veterans and their future service dogs
Sponsorships are available and offer a powerful opportunity to showcase your support while directly contributing to life‑changing partnerships between veterans and service dogs. Click the Get Tickets button below for sponsorship details and registration.
Thank you for standing with us and helping ensure our service dogs are Always Beside You—on the course, in the community, and in life. Together, we are changing lives, one partnership at a time.
Red Meat Lovers x SCSD - Saddle River Inn
Calling all steak enthusiasts and supporters of a great cause! Join Southern Cross Service Dogs for an unforgettable evening at the iconic Saddle River Inn, where exceptional cuts of meat, great company, and raised glasses come together for something truly meaningful.
Guests will enjoy a mouthwatering dining experience featuring expertly prepared meats while connecting with fellow supporters who share a passion for community and impact. Every bite and every toast helps support SCSD’s mission of providing highly trained service dogs to veterans at no cost, empowering them with greater independence, confidence, and companionship.
This special night is about more than great food—it’s about standing beside those who have served our country and helping change lives, one service dog at a time.
✨ Come hungry. Leave inspired.
Your participation directly supports veterans and the life‑changing dogs who are always beside them.
We’re grateful to celebrate this incredible evening with you and appreciate your continued support of Southern Cross Service Dogs.
KBR 2026 Clays for a Cause
Join us for an action-packed day of camaraderie, competition, and cause at the KBR 2026 CLAYS FOR A CAUSE in support of Southern Cross Service Dogs, a non-profit organization dedicated to training and placing life-changing service dogs with our nation’s veterans.
Funds raised from this event directly support the training, care, and placement of service dogs for veterans with physical disabilities, PTSD, or other challenges. Your participation is more than a day of sport—it’s a step toward life-changing support for our heroes.
Grab your shooting gear, rally your friends, and help us make a real difference for veterans and their service dogs. Together, we can turn every shot into hope, companionship, and independence for those who served. Join us at 8AM Sharp in at American Shooting Centers in Houston, TX.
Unleash the Laughter
Join us for Unleash the Laughter, a fun filled evening addressing a serious issue facing many of our veterans. Up to 44 veterans commit suicide daily, recent studies state that 82% of veterans paired with service dog report reduced suicide ideation. Join our team to help us provide service dogs to veterans in need. Together we will save lives.
Governor’s Comedy Club
90 Division Ave, Levittown, NY 11756-2930, United States
Veterans Wellness Class
Join Totally... the Spa and Southern Cross Service Dogs as we continue our Veteran Wellness Series—a dedicated initiative supporting the well-being of veterans in our community. This ongoing program provides education, resources, and practical tools to help veterans strengthen both mind and body.
Red Meat Lover's Club - All the Meats for SCSD
United We Beef, an epic moment. Redefining what a “Meating” can look like. This will be a colossal feast that will be spoke about for years.
The Secretary of Steak and The Commander in Beef are rolling into Las Vegas for an epic feast to redefine how much meat can be consumed in one “meating”.
Las Vegas is now the new home of the Red Meat Lover's Club.
Our events are open meat, open bar, open cigar which creates the unique mix of business networking and philanthropy.
The Red Meat Lover's Club is the leading meat forward business networking club and we are beyond excited to show you exactly what we can do in Las Vegas.
The Cause for this event is Southern Cross Service Dogs.
For the dinner, think open bar, open cigar and open feast all included.
The Doyle Las Vegas
415 W Bonanza Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89106-3226
