We had thousands of individuals supporting our fundraising campaigns and numerous members of other sporting and veteran organizations who believe as we do that more should be done for the disabled men and women of our military. Joining hands with a number of these organizations has resulted in expanded fishing programs and a new hunting program.
The folks at Urban Park Concessioners, who manage Lake Camanche, Lake Pardee and other lakes in the San Joaquin Valley, hold an annual Trout Tournament each spring and designated Purple Heart Anglers as its benefiting nonprofit organization in 2009 and again this year. For the tournament this year, Urban Park Concessionaires has opened the tournament to 30 disabled veterans and their families to Lake Camanche for a day of fishing. The management will provide tackle, lunch and pontoon boats at no cost to the participants.
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Fourteen volunteers, including Carl and Jerry from the television program Carl and Jerry’s Fishing and Hunting Show, will assist with the hunts. They are scheduled to film the hunts and showcase our programs as well as being there to assist in the needs of the veterans.
In addition, we are now working with the Northern San Joaquin Valley Chapter of Safari Club International. We received a grant from the SCI to cover the cost of two hunters on the pig and turkey hunts in March. “Travln Toys” in Tracy has kindly donated use of a toy hauler in order to transport the all terrain vehicles which have been donated for our use on our hunts. Two different offshore fishing companies in Mexico have given us complimentary fishing trips in 2010 for the veterans and BMB Fishing Tours LLC has donated several bass fishing weeks at their lake in Mexico.
Last year, business owners and veteran organizations from the Coastside stepped up to see more than 75 disabled veterans from Yountville and Palo Alto VA facilities out fishing for a day.
Early morning coffee and pastries were provided by Ketch Joanne’s and the American Legion Post No. 474 provided the veterans with a warm welcome, a warm fire and a place to sit and eat upon their return from fishing. Tom Mattusch, owner/operator of the HuliCat, his crew, and our friends on the fishing vessel Tigerfish did a great job by finding lots fish for the veterans to catch. Paul Shenkman, owner of Sam’s Chowder House, provided all the chowder, fish and chips, fish tacos and crab cocktails the fishermen could eat, by bringing his Chowder Mobile to the American Legion in Princeton. All participants, fishermen and volunteers, are still talking about the event.
I was motivated to create Purple Heart anglers because I’m the youngest brother of a career soldier. He has two Purple Hearts from being wounded in combat in Viet Nam and retired from the United States Army as an E-7. In 2009 he was voted by the Military Order of the Purple Heart as Patriot of the Year and was also inducted into the Arizona Veteran’s Hall of Fame. His volunteer activities at the VA hospitals in Arizona totaled more than 25,000 hours.
Over the years he has spent many months in the VA hospitals himself and even at the age of 72 visits the men and women of our military at the VA. He is my hero and what we do through the Purple Heart Anglers allows us to give back to him and the men and women of our military who have given us so much. These are my brother’s brothers and they deserve our best.
We wish to thank the volunteers for their support, past present and future. They have made a difference in the lives of hundreds of disabled veterans and have seen the results of their hard work in the smiles of the participants at the end of the day.
Randy Houston is an El Granada resident and president of Purple Heart Anglers.
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