The year 2008 began as HUNTS FOR HEROES first entire year as 501 C 3 organization. Our goal for the new year was to double the number of wounded we hosted in 2007 at our outdoor events. We had a little more money to help our troops because of grants our financial director (Stephen Weinheimer) had doggedly researched and secured. We still had the old van for transportation but a new bus was now in our future. We had gained the support of the Command Staff at BROOKE ARMY CENTER as well as the WARRIOR AND FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER at BROOKE ARMY MEDICAL CENTER. This made our task of providing outdoor events for our nations wounded heroes much easier. We also had the support of hundreds of people in El Campo, Louise, and Wharton Texas, and many other cities across Texas. The year 2008 was the year that HUNTS FOR HEROES was at last untethered and allowed to be all we knew we could be. It was a good year for the wounded warriors we hosted and for the volunteers who served them.
We hit the ground running in January without a break and we held a huge duck hunt in Rockport, Texas. In January and February, our soldiers enjoyed great deer hunting on some of the premiere ranches in South Texas. These same ranches hosted fishing trips throughout the spring and summer. Also, in the spring months we hosted 16 wounded troops on turkey hunts all over South Texas. More than 30 wounded warriors shot sporting clays at Garwood Sporting Clays throughout the summer and fall.
During the spring and again in the summer many of the best people in Sargent, Texas held two major fishing events. Hunts for Heroes transported several soldiers to each event. The fishing (as always) was great in East Matagorda Bay. The 2nd Annual MSGT GONZALES MEMORIAL FISHING TOURNAMENT in July was a fun and memorable event. The Astros ball game on the way back to BAMC was one of the highlights of the year. Seventeen heroes got to meet several of the Houston Astros and hang out in the press room before the game. The fishing tournament has raised over $57,000 for THE FALLEN HEROES FUND in the last two years. HUNTS FOR HEROES is proud to stand with the Gonzales family for their outstanding show of support for our wounded heroes. We look forward to going back to Sargent September 10th for the 3rd annual event.
HUNTS FOR HEROES hosted the 3rd annual Palacios fishing event the last weekend in July at the Serendipity Resort. The Palacios community came through again for us and donated rooms, meals, and support. Many El Campo and surrounding community volunteers were on hand with boats, food and more.
We met our goal of doubling our 2007 numbers by late July; two full months before hunting season even started. Our team flew wounded Marines to South Padre Island for deep-sea and inshore fishing trips as well as deer and elk hunting trips to Kansas and Wyoming. Full limit dove hunts were common around El Campo during August, as were teal hunts and big duck hunts in the fall. HUNTS FOR HEROES took excited warriors on 12 deer hunts in South Texas with theWARRIOR TRANSITION BATTALION from Fort Bliss, Fort Sam Houston and Fort Carson, Colorado. We will soon be taking wounded warriors from WTBs at Fort Hood, TX, Fort Campbell, KN, Fort Jackson, SC and Fort Bragg, NC.
By the time the 2008 duck season ended HUNTS FOR HEROES had held 37 major events. With deer, duck and hog hunts going on almost every weekend from November until the end of deer season our wounded heroes totaled over 1,000 hunter days in the field.
In December, we kicked off a new way for almost everyone to help our organization support our wounded warriors. It is called ADOPT A WARRIOR. We calculated it costs us $100 a day to host a wounded warrior. We are asking anyone who is able, to adopt as many warriors as your budget will allow.
COL Bob Bowden http://www.faseb.org/careers/EB2009/pages/page2b.htm started an outreach of HUNTS FOR HEROES at WALTER REED MEDICAL CENTER called THE LINK UP. ( http://thelink-up.org) TheLinkUP finds and matches wounded warriors with guides and outfitters all over the United States. We have plans to fly these warriors to Texas for fishing this summer, with the help of COL Bowden and TheLink-up. Plans are also in the works for BAMC warriors to hunt Eastern Shore geese and WRMC come to Texas for deer hunts in the fall. Hopefully, 2009 will see great things happen for The Link-up.
Without a doubt, one of the best events of the year was the Christmas event we had at BAMC on December 21st. I am proud to say we have made the lives of hundreds of wounded from BAMC better in 2008 with our outdoor events but, the smiles we saw on three wounded warriors Sunday as they accepted gift cards and treats for 75 was worth more than any ten-point-buck in the world.
In November, we lost a dear friend of HUNTS FOR HEROES, Lee Martin. Lee was an avid deer hunter, fisherman and friend to all of us. Lee’s memory will live on through many donations made to HUNTS FOR HEROES by his family and friends..... Lee, a big part of what we do this year is because of the people that loved you.
We bought a bus in December to transport the wounded to and from BAMC without the worry of breakdowns. It will seat 15 passengers, has a wheel chair lift and extra space for luggage or wheel chairs. HUNTS FOR HEROES has seen a good start to 2009 with more funding and the hope of more money to come with new grants on the horizon.
We are well into 2009 having held three successful deer hunts for 24 wounded in South Texas in January and February. Our second Rockport duck hunt went great for eight wounded warriors in January as well. Two goose hunts near El Campo saw over 100 Snow Geese hit the ground for our heroes in February.
I know that 2009 will bring great things for HUNTS FOR HEROES and those we serve. We thank you all for your support and ask that you continue to support us. Do something good for a hero today. Keep the slack out of line, as well as out of your life.
Sincerely,
Billy Hodges
President
HUNTS FOR HEROES |
