JonDevin
09-09-2013, 01:23 PM
What an incredible day we had at Sandy Hook this past Saturday. The Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary hosted the New Jersey Chapter of Heroes on the Water. We had 25 veterans participate and 35+ volunteers (many of whom are NJFishing.com members). Lunch was provided and prepared by the CG and CGA.
Pete at Atlantic Bait & Tackle donated all the ice we could hold, all the bait we would need and a beautiful rod/reel combo to one lucky vet (we picked a name out of a hat). That's a lot of stuff for 60+ participants. I can't thank you enough, Pete. Your dedication to those who serve is spectacular.
We knew fluking might be a little slow in the bay so we prepared for croaker/porgy/spot and boy did we find them. Mixed in were some weakfish, sea bass and blowfish. The bottom line is these men and women had a blast.
We always come away from these outings with incredible stories. But I want to quickly share with you the one that resonated with me. We were contacted by the wife of an Air Force vet, Gene, a couple of weeks ago. She was looking for activities to get him out and involved. She was researching opportunities without his knowledge. She found us and signed Gene up. But she didn't tell him for a week. She finally told him and convinced him to go. So he shows up and goes through the paces with everyone else, get a PFD fitted, safety instruction, paired with a guide and launches. Gene comes in for lunch with a smile ear to ear on his face. He caught a bunch of fish. He calls his wife and is now telling her she has to come to these events. He's telling us how he's going to get more vets involved because of how great it was. Then.... to top it all off.... we pick the name of the vet who won the rod and reel and it was Gene. The picture says it all.... and his own Facebook posts say even more.
We are all making a difference one soldier at a time. We are helping them to get out there and enjoy the freedoms for which they sacrificed to protect. Thank you again for all of your support.
For more info on participating, volunteering or donating, visit our information page at www.hownj.com
Pete at Atlantic Bait & Tackle donated all the ice we could hold, all the bait we would need and a beautiful rod/reel combo to one lucky vet (we picked a name out of a hat). That's a lot of stuff for 60+ participants. I can't thank you enough, Pete. Your dedication to those who serve is spectacular.
We knew fluking might be a little slow in the bay so we prepared for croaker/porgy/spot and boy did we find them. Mixed in were some weakfish, sea bass and blowfish. The bottom line is these men and women had a blast.
We always come away from these outings with incredible stories. But I want to quickly share with you the one that resonated with me. We were contacted by the wife of an Air Force vet, Gene, a couple of weeks ago. She was looking for activities to get him out and involved. She was researching opportunities without his knowledge. She found us and signed Gene up. But she didn't tell him for a week. She finally told him and convinced him to go. So he shows up and goes through the paces with everyone else, get a PFD fitted, safety instruction, paired with a guide and launches. Gene comes in for lunch with a smile ear to ear on his face. He caught a bunch of fish. He calls his wife and is now telling her she has to come to these events. He's telling us how he's going to get more vets involved because of how great it was. Then.... to top it all off.... we pick the name of the vet who won the rod and reel and it was Gene. The picture says it all.... and his own Facebook posts say even more.
We are all making a difference one soldier at a time. We are helping them to get out there and enjoy the freedoms for which they sacrificed to protect. Thank you again for all of your support.
For more info on participating, volunteering or donating, visit our information page at www.hownj.com