2026

Dear Friends and Family,

Every August I get on my bike, and every August the same 78 miles reminds me that nothing in life stays the same; no situation, good or bad, stays the same forever. This is year twenty of the Copper Triangle in support of Wild Bill's Warriors. It’s a ride that I have shared with friends and family including my sister, brother-in-law, Jennie, my mom and last, but definitely not least, Wild Bill. This year, more than most, I've been thinking about how much has changed over the years while this ride has remained constant.

For the better part of a decade, the Halcott household has been in one long season: pregnancies, newborns, sleepless nights, diaper bags packed for every outing. That season is ending; we are officially out of diapers. Theo (3) is starting 3-year-old preschool in September! Our little caboose had a great ski year last season trying to keep up with all his siblings. It was special to be able to ride the ski lifts together as a family of six. Evie (5) is ready to rock Kindergarten in the fall...she actually could probably just go straight to high school. Evie joined her big sister on stage at this year's production of The Wizard of Oz and absolutely crushed it. She also crushed soccer, skiing, swimming and gymnastics. Will (7) enjoyed first grade, his first full year of dual language immersion studying Spanish. He is set to join the Park City Farm Team, a competitive training and travel program for young skiers looking to improve their racing and all-mountain skills, this coming season. He could not be more excited to finally get to compete on skis! Marie (9) finished her first race season on the Park City Development Alpine Ski Team by earning the coaches award at the year-end banquet. Marie showed up every day with a ton of energy and positivity, and her coaches took notice. She also was Toto in The Wizard of Oz, which was a BIG highlight for her. Theo, Evie, Will and Marie are becoming their own people — kids with opinions, inside jokes, different passions and increasingly terrifying speeds on skis and bikes. It's a good season; it's just a different one.

Jennie has continued to put more on her plate beyond being the ringmaster of the Halcott Circus. She is actively volunteering in each of the kids' school classrooms and finished her second-year skiing with the women's program at Park City Mountain Resort (a program that helps her improve her ski skills and, let’s be honest, gives her a slight chance to keep up with her kids). One week after last year's Copper Triangle, I met my goal at the Leadville 100 mountain bike race by going sub nine hours, earning not just a belt buckle, but the big belt buckle. I definitely experienced type 2 fun during the race. Professionally, I just launched Allegiance Fleet Services, a mobile diesel repair business. We are targeting Dallas, Texas as our initial market. If you know of any fleet owners in the Dallas market, let me know!

I've written before about the lesson my dad's illness taught me — that you don't wait for a crisis to spend time with the people you love, because seasons end whether you are ready or not. Watching our kids move from babies to little people is the gentle version of that same lesson. Nothing lasts forever … that's exactly why the Davis Phinney Foundation (DPF) (https://davisphinneyfoundation.org/) and the Illinois Valley Brain Injury Clubhouse (IVBIC) (https://ivbiclubhouse.org) matter to me — Parkinson's and brain injuries don't let people choose when their season changes. The mission of the Davis Phinney Foundation and the Illinois Valley Brain Injury Clubhouse is to make whatever season someone is in — even a hard one, even one nobody chose — a little fuller.

So as our family closes one chapter and opens another, I'm grateful for the one thing that has stayed constant in twenty years: this ride, this cause, and all of you showing up for it. The 20th Copper Triangle raising money for Wild Bill's Warriors will be taking place on August 1st this year with a goal of raising $25,000. To donate, please visit http://www.wildbillswarriors.org. You’ll notice a little new design on the site thanks to Brad Anderson. I have been writing this letter for close to twenty years now and you will see a version from every year along with some photos. I hope you enjoy the new update.

I have attached a pdf of the letter with photos to avoid your spam filter from blocking this email.

As always, THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart.

Be Wild,

Brandon