Salute Inc.

SALUTE,INC., passionately pursues meeting the financial, physical and emotional needs of the military service members, veterans and their families. We strive to raise awareness of their sacrifices and provide a safety net to ensure every military family is treated with honor and dignity.

SALUTE,INC. was founded in 2003 by Will and Mary Beth Beiersdorf of Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Shortly after 9/11, Will, a Naval Reservist, was called to active duty and deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for thirteen months. The severe financial impact his deployment had on his family came as a startling revelation.

While Will was serving in Cuba, Mary Beth was overwhelmed with the magnitude of what she and their three sons were facing. In addition to the lack of finances, Mary Beth and her children coped with the fear of the unknown and the emotional strain caused by their separation from Will.

With the help, support and outpouring of love from family, friends, their church and their community, they were able to survive. Upon Will's return, both he and Mary Beth felt the need to "give back" by helping others who were experiencing similar hardships.

In 2003, they decided to start an organization whose fundraising efforts would be based around a yearly Memorial Day Family Run/Walk. After sharing their vision with family, friends and pooling their resources, Salute was born!

SALUTE, INC. is now a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides financial support for our military men and women through a variety of fundraising activities.

President - Marc Gallant

Vice President - Lisa Moran

Secretary - Joan Zaleski

Treasurer - Ali Azim

• Will Beiersdorf  
• Marc Gallant      
• Mary Beth Beiersdorf  
• Gary Jones
• Mary Fran Leno  
• Sue Freitag
• Chris Duszynski
• Michael Cassady
• Ali Azim

• Dan Casara
• Ed Edmundson
• Kaki Newgard
• Russ Talbot
• Peter Vasquez
• Deb Volpe
• Ron White
• Pat Moroney

The SALUTE, INC. Advisory Board serves at the will and pleasure of the President and Executive Director, providing advice and counsel to better serve our service members and their families. The Advisory Board is also an advocacy arm of the organization, promoting its programs and events. The Advisory Board will consist of no more than 30 members, serving for 1 or 2 year terms, and will meet twice a year. 

• Will Beiersdorf
• Mary Beth Beiersdorf
• Mike Flynn
• Joe Healy
• Gary Jones
• Mike Robbins
• Beth Schwarz
• Chris Schwarz
• Russ Talbot
• Deb Volpe
• Ron White

It is truly our mission to "HONOR THE SERVICE AND REMEMBER THE SACRIFICE" of the men, women and families of our U.S. military personnel.