About Us

Back the Blue Rumble DBA as Back the Heroes Rumble is recognized in Ohio as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in support of law enforcement, first responders, fire fighters, and military servicemen/women and the Veteran community. Our service area covers the entire states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
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Our Start

This organization is consisted of five board members in the Cincinnati Tri-State Community including three military veterans. In addition, we have partnered with local chapters and charities that share in our mission directives. When a local law enforcement officer was killed in the line of duty in our area, it had shaken every one of us to our core. So we decided to do a car show to honor the fallen officer as OUR way of Backing the Blue in a loud way. After helping host that car show for the officer, many of us wanted to continue to do this on a larger scale and more frequently. Our name was inspired by that experience of Backing the Blue in that successful car show. But we wanted to support more than just our law enforcement. So we created this non-profit corporation to serve police, fire and military.

Our Mission

Our mission is to honor law enforcement officers, fire fighters and the military community and the families they have left behind. Our objective and vision is to not just be another organization that donates a check and then disappears. We intend on creating a network with the families of the fallen to meet and support one another during these toughest of times along with our partnered Non-profits of these communities. It is our desire to connect these families with these corporations for resources as well. We will be hosting various events to raise funds that will be donated to the selected families by our board to be honored at said events including our annual car show. We also help underfunded police/fire departments when the need is there for equipment/resources via our Operation Open Arms community Initiative.

We will continue to HONOR those whom served and gave the ultimate sacrifice. We will continue to SERVE those whom bear the burden of losing a loved one. We will SACRIFICE our time and effort to do what we must to show support and show solidarity to our heroes and their loved ones. This is because if not for their service, and sacrifice, our communities wouldn’t be as great and free as it is today. We will always BACK OUR HEROES! "
Back the Blue Rumble is a tax exempt public charity
(Federal Tax ID # 83-4125871).

Board Members

Jessie Grabert

Executive Director
Jessie is a hardworking, devoted mother who is dedicated to leaving the fire service better than it was when she found it by working with various nonprofit organizations. She comes to Back the Heroes Rumble with not only first hand fire service experience, but also nonprofit management/marketing experience with the Tri-State FACE Team. 

She now joins our organization as our newest Executive Director, learning the ins and outs of our operations with the intent to become our future Executive Director. She is driven to continue spreading awareness about our mission to honor our fallen heroes, to tackle lifesaving equipment needs of our first responders and provide community and cathartic support for the heroes and their families.

Carl Whalen

Co-Founder/Board Chair/Marketing Director
Carl Whalen is Co-founder of Back the Blue Rumble and now serves as the Marketing Director. He is a 5 year combat veteran of the United States Army and served as a Combat Medic during Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign. He also has his Bachelors Degree in Nursing from University of Cincinnati.

While serving the fallen heroes and their families, he continues to live by the warriors ethos he swore under in the military; One of these ethos means more to him than the rest being "I will never leave a fallen comrade".

Andrea Whalen

Secretary / Co-Founder / Honoree Contact Liaison
Andrea Whalen is Secretary and Co-Founder of Back the Blue Rumble. She is a recent graduate from University of Cincinnati with her Bachelors Degree of Science in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Biology.

Her passion is to serve her community and while she serves our military/veteran community as VA School Certifying Official at University of Cincinnati, she continues her pursuit to care of our fallen heroes and their families. She is also the Honoree Contact Liaison for our annual car show. When our heroes are selected to be honored at any of our events and we need to reach out to the family of said Honoree, Andrea is the one person who contacts said family. It is at this moment first where we make our initial contact to honor a fallen loved one.

She is also the person that coordinates with the Honoree Welcoming Team during our Annual Car Show when the day is made entirely about the fallen heroes and their families.
Norman Nelson - Board Member

Norman Nelson

Operation Open Arms Program Director/ Retired LEO/ Retired U.S Air Force/ NLEOMF Ambassador
In 2023, Norman was appointed director of Open Arms program, which provides lifesaving equipment and vital resources to first responder agencies across the Tri-State region. Being a retired Air Force Security Forces veteran, a retired Law enforcement officer, Norman knows all too well what dangers our first responders inherit daily performing their duties. 

This is why Norman came to our organization wanting to help it grow and make a bigger impact every single year. Norman is also one of the important Ambassadors to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial & Museum in Washington D.C.

Joey Barrow

Volunteer & Logistics Coordinator
Joey is a U.S. Navy Veteran who served abroad the USS George Washington CVN-73, and with a Anti Terrorism Task Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

After several battles with cancer, Joey was retired from Naval Service, and has continued serving by volunteering for the last decade with Team Rubicon.

He brings his experience and energy to Back the Heroes Rumble, and willingness to help us remember and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. 
Joey Barrow - Marketing VP
Nicolle Barrow - Treasurer

Nikki Barrow

Treasurer / Project Little Hero Program Director
Nikki comes to our charity with over a decade in banking experience with Fifth Third Bancorp as well as just as much experience in nonprofit functions. She has been volunteering with Team Rubicon for many years and helping carry on the mission to provide holiday cheer for military families.

She is our treasurer and the director for our program titled 'Project Little Hero' where we serve families of military/veterans and first responders with holiday cheer as well as back to school supplies!

FAQs

Back the Heroes Rumble offers two funded programs: Operation Never Forget & Operation Open Arms. ONF is our annual car show where we honor fallen heroes & support the families of said honorees. We also host an annual Heroes Holiday Toy Drive for families of police/fire/military and veteran communities.

OOA is a community initiative where we assist underfunded needs of law enforcement/fire departments.  Both initiatives get corporate support and from individual donations.

100% of Donor funds go towards the mission and operations.

No. Absolutely zero funding/donations go to our board or staff. Even including our President, all are 100% volunteers and receive no compensation of any kind.

You can help by signing up to volunteer at our events.  You can get directly to this page by clicking here – How to Help This page also allows you to make one-time donations directly to the program you wish to support.  Thank you for your support!

First, we would like to Thank you and your department for serving and protecting our communities!

You need to go to ‘Programs’ and click on Operation Open Arms in our top page menu.  Once you are there, you should click on ‘Apply for Assistance’ button.

From there, our Program Director, Norman Nelson will reach out to work with you and help.

Applications are reviewed from January 1st through March 31st and decisions to fund requests made are done during our monthly board meeting in April each year.  Decisions are based on need, the number of applications submitted and available funding.  We are also limited based on available program funding at the time of these decisions.

Thank you for reaching out!  Many Corporations like yours has been the backbone in our efforts and without you, doing our mission would be difficult.

We kindly ask you reach out to us via email at btbrmarketing@gmail.com and our Marketing Director, Joey Barrow will reach out to you and show you the various ways we can work together in serving our heroes!  Check out our Ambassadorship program and learn how we can work together to serve our heroes and their families directly.

Also please check out our programs as there are often times along with our car show opportunities to sponsor!  Again, Thank you for your support!

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