In 2012 the MV Surfcasters played a major role in supporting the American Heroes Saltwater Challenge...See Photos! (Thanks to Phil Horton for this write up)
Jan
5
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1/5/2013 11:49 AM
Once again in 2012 the MV Surfcasters played a major role in supporting the American Heroes Saltwater Challenge event on MV. This was the fourth year that the Nixon family, the MV Derby Committee, and the Vineyard community as a whole joined forces to host the wounded warriors along with their family and friends. This year the Nixon family and a small army of volunteers hosted ten wounded warriors and approximately twenty family members and friends who accompanied them. All of the warriors were active service members who were patients at either Bethesda Naval Hospital or Walter Reed Army Medical Center. MSVA members volunteered their time and efforts throughout the five days of the event this year, and were out in force on September 26'th to facilitate the 2012 East Beach Wounded Warrior outing. MV Surfcasters provided logistical support moving the visitors and support staff from the Beach Plum Inn out to East Beach. Surfcasters then worked one on one with the vets and their families casting for albies & blues and dunking bait on East Beach throughout the afternoon and early evening of the 26’th. Rod tips were bent up and down the beach throughout the outing. Numerous bluefish were landed, including a couple of them that made the trip to the Derby weigh-in that evening. Multiple albies were hooked and landed by the warriors during the afternoon, providing some great thrills for our guests. The kitchen staff of the Beach Plum Inn and Homeport Restaurant prepared and served an outstanding beach barbeque. As much as this was a fishing outing, it's really more about spending time with the visiting soldiers, making them feel welcome, and providing them with an opportunity to relax and enjoy some of the wonderful places we get to fish on MV.
Surfcasters who helped out during the East Beach outing included Wally White, Bob Lane, Mike Stimola, Janet Messineo, Ron Domurat, Dave Nash, Cooper Gilkes, Peter & Lena Johnson, Tom Smith, Paul Schultz, and Phil Horton. Surfcaster President Will Geresy and Treasurer Sue Geresy were part of the TTOR team that supported the outing. The wounded warriors and their families had a great time on the beach.
This year the entire five day event was filmed by a crew from National Geographic. There were several members of the film crew in attendance at the beach outing capturing the excitement of a fun afternoon of fishing and relaxation. Bob Nixon is the executive producer of the documentary, which will be aired on Memorial Day 2013.
Click here to see all the great photos.