Black-tie gala returns November 15, 2025, at the Hotel del Coronado, honoring veteran advocates and raising critical funds for healing grants and groundbreaking therapies
CORONADO, Calif., May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ – Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) today announced the return of its premier fundraising event, the 4th Annual Torchbearer Ball , to be held on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the legendary Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, California. The event supports VETS’ mission to end the veteran suicide epidemic and expands access to psychedelic-assisted therapies for those suffering from the invisible wounds of war.
Guests will enjoy a cocktail hour, dinner, live entertainment, a curated auction, and firsthand stories of resilience and healing. More than 600 guests are expected to attend, including a diverse group of advocates, philanthropists, healthcare leaders, policymakers, and veterans, all coming together to advance the future of healthcare.
WHAT: Torchbearer Ball - Fourth Annual Gala to End Veteran Suicide
WHO: Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) and allies
WHEN: Saturday, November 15, 2025
WHERE: Hotel del Coronado
, Coronado, California
This gala’s Torchbearer Award will be presented to acclaimed filmmakers Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen, directors of In Waves and War , a powerful documentary that follows the healing journeys of three former Navy SEALs, including VETS Co-Founders Marcus and Amber Capone. Through their work, Shenk and Cohen have helped bring critical visibility to the veteran mental health crisis and the transformative potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy. The documentary, which will be released later this year, has been featured at film festivals and screenings across the nation after its official premiere at the prestigious Telluride Film Festival in August 2024.
Amber Capone, Co-Founder and CEO of VETS, said, “The Torchbearer Ball is more than a gala—it’s a rallying point for change. Our mission is to change lives and restore hope for veterans and their families through safe, clinically guided psychedelic therapies. These treatments have the potential to address profound psychological and physiological wounds, offering unparalleled healing for our nation’s heroes. There was no roadmap when we founded VETS—just a belief that if traditional therapies weren’t working, we had to find another way. If our journey can inspire one person to lead with courage, conviction, and compassion, then every challenge will have been worth it.”
Since its founding in 2019, VETS has awarded more than $3.2 million in Foundational Healing Grants, supported nearly 1,000 veterans and spouses, and provided more than 6,000 hours of coaching and integration. In the past year alone, the organization has reached major milestones, including earning perfect scores across all metrics from Charity Navigator and being recognized as one of only four charities nationwide to receive its highest rating out of 225,000. VETS also helped launch a landmark ibogaine study with Stanford University, published in Nature Medicine, which found the treatment to improve PTSD and TBI symptoms in Special Operations veterans significantly. In Texas, VETS helped lead the passage of HB 1802 and is currently championing HB 3717, the Texas Ibogaine Initiative, while playing a pivotal role in securing the first-ever federal funding for psychedelic research through the Crenshaw Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.
Sponsorship opportunities for the Torchbearer Ball are now available. For more information or to become a sponsor, please visit https://vetsolutions.org/gala/ or download the Sponsorship Brochure .
For more information about VETS’ advocacy and research efforts, visit www.vetsolutions.org .
About VETS
Founded in 2019, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to end the veteran suicide epidemic by providing resources, research, and advocacy for U.S. military veterans seeking psychedelic-assisted therapies for traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, and other health conditions. VETS envisions a world where our veterans have access to the most advanced healthcare options to heal from the mental and physical wounds of war.
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