Madigan Army Hospital Heroes on the Water

I got to meet Allen (polepole) yesterday face to face. Great guy and heck of a fishing resource. We met with Danita Dahl, who is the Recreational Coordinator for the Warriors in Transition Battalion at Madigan Army Hospital in Ft Lewis.

We set up the Heroes on the Water program for the wounded soldiers there. Y'all will be able to take injured soldiers out and fish from kayaks. It's an amazing therapeutic program for these folks and a lot of fun. Allen  will be your point of contact for HOW. I know he wants lots of volunteers. All of your time and effort will go to those soldiers in your local area. If you want more info on what HOW or KASA does, check out our site at http://www.KayakAnglersSA.org/

[email protected]

FYI – A press release about our program. We got the word on 26 July. Will help us go a long way.

Jim

 
Kayak Fishing Program for Wounded Warriors Awarded $50,000 Grant
Media Contact: Jim Dolan, 214-295-4541, or [email protected]
ALLEN, Texas – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced July 30 that it had awarded a $50,000 grant to support the Kayak Anglers Society of America’s Heroes on the Water program. This program is designed to introduce the rehabilitative aspects of kayak angling to veterans recovering from war injuries. .
The Texas non-profit was formed in 2007 by avid kayak anglers who also happened to be veterans of the United States armed forces.
With a stated goal of increasing access to and participation in kayak angling nationwide, it didn’t take long for KASA founders to reach out to wounded warriors at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
“Working with program managers at BAMC and Fort Sam Houston, we were able to take our first soldier kayak fishing in October of last year,” said KASA treasurer and board member Jim Dolan, a former U.S. Air Force C-130 pilot. “From there it just kind of grew. By December, we were on our fifth trip, trout fishing on the Blanco River with eight wounded warriors.”
Dolan said the TPWD grant is “bootstrap money” that will help the organization acquire paddling and fishing equipment and pay some of the transportation costs associated with the outings.
“We’ve had tremendous interest in this program,” Dolan said. “We’ve actually had more people interested in going out with us than we had money or volunteers to accommodate. This grant will really help, but it’s just a start.”
Danny Paschall, a board member and former enlisted soldier who now works in the oil and gas industry in Houston, said time on the water and recovery from war wounds is a pretty good match.
“To begin with, kayak fishing is an independent activity that almost anyone can participate in,” he said. “It can be just as serene and relaxing or just as exciting and fast-paced as you want it to be. It’s also a lifetime skill that people can continue to enjoy well into their senior years.”
Past participants in the outings have suffered injuries ranging from amputations to burns to traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“We haven’t had anyone who couldn’t comfortably paddle and fish,” said KASA board member Kendal Larson, a professional photographer who also served in the Air Force. “Those plastic boats are great equalizers. The relaxation and empowerment we see in the troops is strong stuff.”
KASA has plans for as many as a dozen outings in the next year, all of which are free to participants.
For more information on KASA programs, including Heroes on the Water, or to donate, visit the KASA Web site. Certification of KASA as a non-profit educational organization under IRS Code Chapter 501(c)(3) is pending, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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On the Net:
http://www.KayakAnglersSA.org
EDITORS: For high-resolution digital images of HOW outings, please contact Jim Dolan at [email protected].

Guys,

I'm looking for at least 3 more volunteers to help out on this.  Basically you go fishing with the guys and help them as needed.  I could also use some brainstorming on a good place to go in the Oct. timeframe.  Help?!?

-Allen

Allen,

I'm sure there are more experienced kayak fisherman to fill those three slots, but if not add me to the list. 

Sounds like a really great and worthy cause... Lets show them what we call "The Cure"...

Sean

Another relative  willing to lend a hand.

Jay

Thanks Sean and Jay.  Anyone else?

I'm going to start a private forum where we can discuss stuff related to this.

-Allen

Pretty soon I'm going to be soliciting gear donations.  OK, I guess I am soliciting gear donations right now!!!  So if you have any unused paddling gear lying around in the recesses of your garages that you'd like to get rid of, please think of us.  Items like booties, wetsuit, paddling wear, etc.  Maybe even some pfds and paddles although I think I can round up enough of those.

I'll probably also make this equipment available to the local Team River Runner program. TRR is doing something similar to this, but without the fishing.  They were soliciting kayaking gear earlier this year and I'm sure they'd appreciate any use of the gear in the longer run.

-Allen

If you guys decide to do a Alaska trip, or if Bassett Hospital up in Fort Wainwright wants to link up with the program, I'll help where I can. I'm definitely not qualified to guide anyone, but I am willing to help.

I'm another relative newb who would love to take part in some capacity.  As a recent veteran I would consider it a privilage to be part of this.

armyjim and Yarjammer,

I've added permissions for you to be able to view the private forum we have set up to discuss this.  I set up the private forums so we can discuss behind the scenes without adding any noise.

armyjim, I though you might like to see how we're doing this, in case it ever comes up your way.

Not meant to be exclusive ... if anyone else wants to be involved, just say so and I'll gladly add you.

-Allen

hey,don't forget, everyone is welcome to particiapte in this.. it's not just a western washington/pdx/ I -5 corridor thing..

there is far more paddling experience in this group than the entire U.S. olympic team and it's governing body combined.. we could sure use your help..same goes for basic fishing skills...we have them in abundance, anyone who visits us can easily see that.

we've all seen the reports by agarcia,Z, and bsteves from Elk..we've all seen our fellow board members personal reports.. as a group we've planned or are planning 2 safety seminars, a salmon fishing expedition to Moutcha,[ go if you can!!] a coastal trip for Rockies & Lings in Ore. in Sept..Plus our inagural H.O.W. outing with our wounded troops from Madigan here. thats a lot of things for our little family of just under 400, and it takes a lot of time and involvment by those putting it together.. i'm willing to bet a lot of us sit at our screens visiting other groups sites, and think " why arent we doing that?" [ or something similar] 

well, we are!! and we need lotsa help.. come get involved..

Right now, aug.11th,  we could use some help from the SouthSound and Lower Washington/ Upper Oregon folks.. we're still in need of good scouting reports for places that are kinda smaller, easy access, somewhat flat, preferably freshwater fishing spots. you don't have to burn the fuel budget to do this, just tell us here about a place that might work out for us.  I've already looked at Alder Lake and it's smaller two parks, plus Millersylvania State park outside Tumwater..all in just this weeeknd. if you live in the Dupont/Fort Lewis/Lakewood area, or are familiar with American Lake, tell us if you think you have a good place.

if we want to grow, both in membership, and as a group dynamically, doing these things is the way..nothing better than public recognition to generate new membership and interest..and in the case of our planned H.O.W. event, the smiles and thank you's alone will say it all..
Rich 

depending on the date im willing to help out. Im arriving from texas on the first of October, so ill be knew to the area but im willing to help. I have a spare kayak and paddle  they can use. Im still in the military so its good know people still go out of there way to help out. thanks

Thanks flying_squid.  I've added you to the private planning forum.

-Allen

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Tentative date is the weekend of  OCt 11-12 at Silver Lake, Cowlitz County, WA

-Allen