Brave Thoughts from Our Co-Founder, John - February 2026

Dear Brave Family,

Every organization has a month that feels different.

For us, that month is March.

March is Brave Month.

It’s Brayden’s birthday month. It’s Reading Month. It’s the month we lean all the way into who we are and what we believe. Courage. Joy. Love. Relentless hope.

And this year, we are setting a goal that feels bold even for us.

We are working to get thousands of carefully curated books into the hands of Brave Kids all across the United States. Not just in Cincinnati. Not just in a few hospitals. Across the country. Ronald McDonald Houses. Children’s Hospitals. Places where kids are fighting battles they never signed up for.

These are not random books. They are stories about belief. About teamwork. About humor when you need it most. About being different and knowing that different is powerful.

Because sometimes the right story in the right moment can change everything.

And here’s the part I love most.

On February 28, we are hosting a local volunteer event at Kemba Credit Union in West Chester to help prepare and package these books for shipment across the country. Families. Students. Corporate teams. Grandparents. Friends. All coming together to make something meaningful happen.

This is what Brave Month is about. Not just big goals. Community action.

And speaking of stories, we are also preparing to officially launch something very close to my heart.

Finnegan the Football.

I had the privilege of co-authoring this book with my friend Trey Hendrickson. We wanted to tell a story for kids who have ever felt different. Because let’s be honest, a football is a pretty odd ball. It bounces funny. It rolls unpredictably. It does not behave like the others. And yet it becomes the center of the biggest game in America.

There’s a lesson in that.

Finnegan launches soon, and preorder information is below. I cannot wait for you to meet him.

As we step into Brave Month, I want you to know this.

None of these goals happen without you. Not the books. Not the hospital visits. Not the adventures. Not the stories.

March is a celebration. But it is also a call.

A call to read.

A call to serve.

A call to show up.

A call to be brave together.

Thank you for being part of this family. Thank you for believing in Brave Kids. Thank you for helping us build something that is bigger than any one of us.

Let’s make this Brave Month unforgettable.

Onward with Bravery!

John