PARK FALLS, Wis. (November 3, 2023) – Take a Vet Fishing (TAVF) and its partner organization Operation Healing Heroes Foundation (OHHF) exist for the sole purpose of improving the lives and health of our nation’s heroes. Since 2015, the two not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations have combined to treat over 3,500 U.S. Veterans from all eras of service to high-quality outdoors experiences intended to promote psychological healing; taken over 500 children of fallen soldiers fishing; and documented the heroic stories of over 50 Veterans on their Operation: Healing Heroes television show on Discovery Channel and other regional and national networks. Additionally, Take a Vet Fishing and Operation Healing Heroes have arranged and paid for personalized PTSD treatments for over 225 individual Veterans since 2019.
Take a Vet Fishing co-founder, Jay Garstecki, is a member of the St. Croix Rod Pro Staff. He says while fishing in itself can definitely be a powerful healing tool, the therapeutic benefits are multiplied when people who share similar kinds of traumatic experiences – like our nation’s Veterans – can be brought together through fishing in a safe space to talk about what they’ve been though.
“Our slogan is ‘A Day of Giving Back’ and these outings are at the core of our mission,” says Garstecki. “When our brave service men and women return from overseas, a shockingly high number of them bring back injuries – both physical and mental wounds – and they often have a difficult time adjusting back into the ‘real world’. These Heroes have given so much of themselves for our freedom. As a nation, we fall short in showing them our appreciation. Reaching out and offering a thank you with a handshake is the very least we can do. At Take a Vet Fishing, we bring our veterans together and treat them to a full day of peaceful fishing, food, fun, and camaraderie.”
Special American-Made Rods to Support Real American Heroes
Beginning Veteran’s Day, Saturday, November 11, the St. Croix family is asking for help from the fishing community in raising a total of $80,000 to support our veterans through the healing work of Take a Vet Fishing and Wounded Warriors in Action. A fixed quantity of 1,000 Limited-Edition St. Croix Premier rods – the number-one-selling American-made fishing rod series – will be offered for sale. These 7’ medium-light and medium power, fast action spinning rods wear the Take a Vet Fishing and Wounded Warriors in Action logos and will sell for $200. These high-performance multi-species fishing rods are a perfect fit to any angler’s arsenal and are sure to be a treasured gift for any Veteran in your life. Most importantly, your purchase of one or more of these special rods will help St. Croix complete its mission of donating $40,000 each to the separate Take a Vet Fishing and Wounded Warriors in Action organizations.
These rods are expected to sell out quickly, so be ready to log onto stcroixrods.com beginning at 7:00 AM Central Time on Veteran's Day. Until then, if you'd like to make a tax-deductible donation to Take a Vet Fishing, you can do so HERE. Thanks in advance for your support!