Band of Brothers

Echovets.org

The Band of Brothers Echo Group (Echo Group), rooted in Orcutt and serving the Santa Maria Valley, is a veteran-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to healing through service, camaraderie, and purpose. From its origins as a simple softball league ignited by a Marine and Navy veteran’s shared camaraderie, it has blossomed into a robust network offering recreational sports—like softball, bowling, and billiards—as powerful tools for rebuilding connection and mental health among veterans (Santa Maria Sun, echovets.org). Echo Group also meets critical needs through Camp Flores, a transitional home providing shelter, food, and stability to homeless veterans, as well as a 24/7 crisis line and peer support network (GuideStar, echovets.org, KSBY News). The organization’s innovative horsemanship vocational program, Elite Vocations, pairs equine-assisted therapy with job training to reintegrate at-risk veterans into meaningful careers (GuideStar). Driven by leadership from veterans like Marine Corps veteran Steve Baird, Echo Group has grown beyond local roots—establishing chapters in Arizona, Tennessee, and even the virtual world of Second Life—while keeping its focus squarely on providing compassion, healing, and purpose for veterans and their families (GuideStar, Santa Maria Sun).

A portion of the shows proceeds will be going to our friends at ECHO Group/ Band of Brothers