2021

Friends and Family,

Welcome back to normal! Welcome back to hugs, handshakes, high fives and everything else we missed for the last year and a half. Society’s strength and resilience were on full display during this trying time. Helen Keller once stated that, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” Looking back, it was remarkable to see the human spirit’s ability to overcome the many obstacles thrown our way. We altered every aspect of our lives at a moment’s notice and just kept going. Our creativity, ingenuity and perseverance were unwavering. It’s nice to finally be on the flip side.

Every year I look forward to writing this letter. It gives me the opportunity to reconnect with each of you and, for that, I am grateful. Since my update in the fall, the entire Halcott crew continues to thrive. Evie is seven months old, babbles up a storm, popped her first tooth and is getting ready to crawl.

Her smile lights up a room; she’s truly a happy baby. Will is two years old, going on 20. He wants to do everything his big sister, Marie, does and shows no fear when giving something a try for the first time. He’s excited to finally be able to take tennis lessons this summer; so excited that he sleeps with his racket! Marie (four years old) competed in her first swim meet last week, and I do not know who was more excited, she or mom! It is clear that Marie inherited the competitive swim gene from her mom. I am looking forward to the rest of the summer to watch her progress in the sport.

As many of you might remember, my dad and I restored a 1948 5 Window Chevy pickup truck. The restoration gave us a fun learning experience and extra bonding time together.

The truck had been in storage at Halcott Farms, but last year, with the pandemic, I brought it to our home in Michigan. Well, Marie and Will have fallen in love with this truck. Going for a ride in Grandpa Bill’s truck is a favorite activity. Not only is it fun to drive with the kids, but it serves as an activity that helps them get to know their grandpa.

Marie and Will ask about Grandpa Bill during rides, giving me an opportunity to share fond memories of him. Who would have thought?! This truck has brought such joy to multiple generations in our family already, and I love that my kids are getting to know my dad through something he loved too.

Another major development for our family this past year was the sale of Tru Family Dental on December 21, 2020, less than a month after the birth of Evelyn. 2020 was truly a wild ride!

After six and a half years of building the company, Naimish and I had the opportunity to

deliver a great outcome for team members and shareholders. Since the deal closed,

we’ve been helping with the integration, and I’ve had more time to spend with the family...and learn a new sport, tennis! Jennie has enjoyed a partner in crime helping with the three little rug rats, and I’ve enjoyed this unique opportunity. It’s a real treat getting a front row seat for their continued growth and development.

Dog sledding this winter in the Upper Peninsula The whole crew will be back at the Copper Triangle this year as it is live and in person again.

We are excited be able to fly out and not have to drive 20+ hours with three young kids!

Wild Bill’s Warriors will again support two organizations that made a positive impact on my dad’s life, the Davis Phinney Foundation (DPF) (https://www.davisphinneyfoundation.org/)

and The Illinois Valley Brain Injury (IVBI) Clubhouse. To make a donation to my ride, which will be taking place on August 7th, please visit http://www.wildbillswarriors.org/.

As always, BE WILD...and thank you all for the continued support!

Love you all,

BH

Friends and Family,

With it being the holiday season, a time when we reflect on our blessings, I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to you for your continued support of Wild Bill’s Warriors (WBW) as well as provide an update on the 2021 Copper Triangle bike ride and recent family happenings. To be honest,

I’m totally in awe and humbled. Everyone works hard in their professional pursuits, and you chose to donate to WBW with those hard-earned dollars. It’s amazing...and so much fun keeping the memory of my dad alive.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! WBW raised nearly $16,000 with your generous support!!! This was an increase of almost 50% over what we raised together in 2020. We biked our hearts out at The Copper Triangle, raising funds for the organizations that made a positive impact on my dad’s life, the Davis Phinney Foundation (DPF)

(https://www.davisphinneyfoundation.org/) and The Illinois Valley Brain Injury Clubhouse (IVBI).

Celebrating Copper Triangle Finish

With support from WBW, DPF was able to help well over a hundred thousand individuals living with Parkinson’s this past year. As a DPF Board Member, I am fortunate to see firsthand the impact the organization has on individuals living with Parkinson’s. Creating bonds through engagement and helping people with Parkinson’s lead a fuller, more rewarding life through programming, education and other materials are only a few of the ways DPF touches members of the community. It is truly a remarkable organization.

IVBI continues to support members of my hometown, LaSalle County, who have been impacted by various brain injuries. Wild Bill loved the friends he made at the Clubhouse as well as the care he received from volunteers. During the last six months of my dad’s life, he went weekly. It gave him a place to go, activities in the community to do and friends to see. It was a true blessing for him and my mom. I smile knowing his legacy continues to support a group that touched his life.

One of Jennie’s three Half Ironmans!!!

From a family point of view, we wrapped up an epic Michigan summer. We boated, swam, waterskied, played tennis, saw family and explored Northern Michigan, which definitely lived up to its hype. Jennie competed in three Half-Ironman triathlons and three sprint triathlons. Yah, I know...what did I do? It was incredible to watch Jennie, who just had our third niño, train and compete in these intense races. Even

better, was seeing how the kids reacted to her commitment and drive to succeed. They were the “mommy tri squad” cheering her on every step of the way. I hope they can have just a smidge of that drive!

I finally had the opportunity to accomplish an important goal of mine – I learned how to start and run Wild Bill’s 1922 Model T during a recent trip to the farm. My dad purchased the Model T at the end of high school and working on it was a hobby of his. My mom and dad took their engagement photos in the T, we entered it in many local parades growing up and I always loved riding around town in it with my dad; it was a staple of my childhood. It’s been sitting idle in the garage and had not run in years. I never worked on the car before and had no idea what I was doing. I looked through the same books my dad used, followed his notes and made a lot of phone calls. After three days and eight plus visits to the local auto parts store, installation of new fuel lines, a complete cleanout of the carburetor and one electrical shock that resulted in a bruise on my forearm where the electricity left my body, the T was running!! I well up because I know 50 years ago a young Wild Bill figured out Will and I working on the 1922 Model T the same things I did while trying to get it started. I would give anything to have been able to have this experience with my dad, but, I know, he was looking down smiling proud. Driving down the road from my childhood home to the farm with Will, Marie and my mom was a truly unique and special experience. If you have a love for old cars or want to know more about what I did with the T please reach out, I would love to chat about my experience.

In other news, our family packed up our Michigan home, put everything into storage and made an international move to Nicaragua at the end of October. Somehow, taking 27 bags and three children through the Atlanta and Liberia airports was not all that bad; Jennie and I only aged about five years and lost a month of sleep prepping. Ha! We have settled in so far, with Marie and Will both attending the local escuela. They are making friends, learning Spanish and having quite the preschool experience. Evie is loving the water more and more each day and mom is showing everyone how great she can speak Spanish. The littles ones enjoy watching her spin circles around me as I struggle through my Spanish classes...but I’m making progress! Our time down here isn’t forever; we will get back to reality in about six months or so. For now, we will continue to embrace the adventures.

As I mentioned, you guys are a true blessing. Thank you for keeping Wild Bill’s Warriors thriving and supporting life-changing organizations. If you still would like to donate, please visit www.wildbillswarriors.org.

Enjoy the holiday season with family and friends and, most of all, BE WILD!!

Love to you all,

Brandon