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Welcome to the 3rd Quarter WWIA Newsletter. We have included updates about events from Apr- Sept, and exciting information about things happening to benefit WWIA. Thanks so much for your support and we hope you enjoy the newsletter! Be sure to let us know if there is anything you would like to see in next quarter's letter.
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Beyond the Events...
Hero for a Day
In the beautiful northwoods of Wisconsin, 25 associates, staff and supports of WWIA gathered for the second annual Hero for a Day sponsored by Field and  Stream Magazine. Folks spent the weekend clearing debris left over from the winter, making paths more accessible, building wood duck houses, and duck blinds to get the property ready for the upcoming hunting season. Four different trips will be held at Camp Hackett in 2013 for our Heroes, and WWIA is proud to say thanks to the people of Phillips Wisconsin for their support as well as the Magazine for their coverage of what WWIA is doing for our Nation's Combat Wounded. click below for the link:
Hudson Farm
For the fourth year in a row, WWIA was honored to be the guests at Hudson Farms in Andover, NJ for their Annual Global Sporting & Conservation Alliance (GSCA) International Showcase Sporting Clays event 13 - 15 September 2013. Members of the WWIA staff were on hand to answer questions and provide background on the Foundation's efforts to support our Nation's Combat Wounded Heroes to all the participants and the staff of Hudson Farms, Griffin & Howe, as well as the Alliance members.
Two Purple Heart Recipients, Tim Spence and Chris Migliaro, also attended to participate in the Sporting Clays Event as well
as experience some Demonstrations for various firearms and sporting equipment. Their participation allowed Hudson Farms members and guests the opportunity to learn more about the challenges of our Wounded Warriors and ask specific questions about how the community can help with their recovery.
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| Chris and Tim at Hudson Farm |
Tim Spence, one of WWIA's Senior Associates and a Purple Heart Recipient from Iraq in 2008, said that this event really allows him to try out new equipment that he would not otherwise get to try. Additionally, it gave him the opportunity to tell others how much WWIA has done for him and how he truly enjoys being an associate so that he can now use his love of hunting and fishing in order to help and nurture other Wounded Warriors.
Hudson Farms has been gracious enough to have this event every September for the last four years. GSCA works tirelessly to gather exclusive vendors to participate in the event who provided amazing items for a Silent Auction which will benefit WWIA. WWIA is extremely thankful for their continued support and looks forward to the event next year.
Combined Federal Campaign:
If you are a Federal Employee and want to continue to support WWIA, don't forget that you can select WWIA as your workplace contribution recipient! Select CFC #94512 for WWIA and know that your $$ will go to support Wounded Warriors. W  e are also participating in many State Campaigns, so if you are a state government employee, please look up WWIAF to see if you can donate to us through your paycheck - each state has a different number for the foundation, so be sure to look us up!
New faces in new places!
WWIA is excited to announce we have a few new employees working for the Foundation! Please join us as we welcome:
Corrina Koenig as our Logistics Planner
Jack McDaniel as our Twitterman
Carolyn Crissman as the Director of the Initiatives Group
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Kentucky Turkey Hunt
23-25 APR 2013
Adair County Kentucky was the location for a great spring Turkey hunt for 3 Wounded Warriors. The event was hosted by WWIA Associate Jonathon Wilson along with Ryan Meadows and was held on Jonathon's land. The guys all stayed in a local hotel and were treated to great food from people in the area. They were even given handmade Turkey Calls made by Ed Jenkins! After three full days of hunting, every Hero bagged a turkey and headed home tired but happy to have had such a warm reception and such a great time!
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Kansas Cast and Blast
01-06 MAY 2013
WWIA Associate Jonathan "Willie" Wilson hosted four Warriors along with help from Carl Sutter and Herman Wiese and friends for a weekend of hunting turkey in the morning and fishing for Crappie and Walleye in the afternoon. They stayed in the Bunkhouse in Cawker City, KS courtesy of Darrell Bader so that they would be close to the 3000 Areas of land and the 12,586 acre Glen Elder Reservoir for their adventures. Once the days were complete, the fun did not end. American Legion Post 379 provided a meal and great entertainment to make these Heroes feel special.
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| Associates Tim Spence and Bob Shaffer and Host Greg Edwards with the five Heroes at the event |
Sportsman's Hide-A-Way was home to Host Greg Edwards, two Associates and five Heroes for a weekend of turkey hunting and striped bass fishing in beautiful North Carolina. Tim and Bob did an awesome job making this trip fun and fruitful for everyone involved! Not only was there great luck/skill with the harvest, there was also a great amount of friendships formed and healing done by all who attended. Thanks to everyone who helped make this event so successful!
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Wisconsin Cast and Blast
16-19 MAY 2013
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| Participating Heroes and Supporting Heroes from Wisconsin Event |
Heroes met in Rothschild, WI for a weekend of Turkey Hunting and Fishing. Amazing accommodations were provided by the Grand Lodge Stoney Creek and wonderful food was provided by the Bohms and the Bar at Wausau. Special thanks to Todd Bohm and Matt Tennessen for making this operation possible!
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| Showing off some of the first day catch - left to right, Bryan Ball, Audie Murphy, Truman Schultz, Mark Broda & Rodney Lewallen. |
Mississippi Inshore Fishing
17-20 MAY 2013
Host Audie Murphy rounded up his family, friends and the local community of Bay St. Louis Mississippi to bring in Purple Heart Heroes Bryan Ball of Cedar Hills Texas and Rodney Lewallen of Grapevine Texas along with WWIA Sr. Associate Mark Broda for some Red Drum and Speckled Trout fishing on the Louisiana Delta. Two days of fishing was capped off with a huge crawfish boil that really brought home the fellowship and camaraderie that we strive for in the WWIA. The warm family feeling provided by the Murphy family and their friends made it all the more special!
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British Columbia, Canada - Bear Hunt
04-11 JUNE 2013
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| Justin Hall from Kalamath OR, a former Marine with two Purple Hearts was the lucky Hero chosen to participate in this years' Skinner Creek Bear Hunt. Thanks to the mission partners of Mike Martell and Doug McMann, Justin had the hunt of a lifetime and got this huge trophy to prove it! |
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2nd Annual Skagit River Chinook Fishing Trip
07-10 JUNE 2013
 Our Chinook Fishing trip was such a huge success, not only because of the great fishing, but also because our Heroes were treated to an amazing Salmon BBQ held by the local community and they saw community support in action when WWIA was presented a fundraising check of $8,000!
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| The guys out on the water |
As always, we sincerely thank the Koenigs and the support they have garnered in their community for their dedicated support of our Heroes. Jose, Brian and Bradley really had an experience they will never forget!
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Lucas Oil Raceway - Pit Crew
26 JULY 2013
WWIA met up with Assembly Products Race Team and Host (Team owner) Ed Schell in Indianapolis for a weekend of racing. Three Heroes; Kelsey Smith, Brad Alexander and David Nicholson along with Sr. Associate Mark Broda were a part of the race team down in the pits for some speed thrilling action!
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2nd Annual Washington State Black Bear Hunt
05-09 AUG 2013
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| Out in the woods... |
Hosted by John and Corrina Koenig and guided by John and Brian Bennett, Heroes Derek, Justin, Andrew and Jeremy were a part of a week long bear hunt in the beautiful foothills of the North Cascade Mountains. The weather was a bit balmy for bear but fellowship and camaraderie abounded. Highlights of the trip were finding Jacob's ladder (our very own stairway to heaven) and one of our Heroes, Justin Young got to play in the snow for the first time, ever! On the last day the Heroes traded their rifles for fishing rods and limited out on Pink Salmon, hooking over 100 fish before calling it a day.
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WWIA 5th Annual Gator Hunt
20-23 SEPT 2013
Many thanks to Scott Smith and all the fine folks at Brevard County Airboat Association, Frank Sewell and the American Legion Riders Post 81, and all of the great supporters of this event. Our Heroes had a awesome experience while hunting Gators during the 5th Annual WWIA Gator Hunt. Everyone filled his tag and could not say enough about how much they enjoyed the trip and that the community support was out of this world.
Here is a link to an article about the hunt:
Gator Hunt in the News
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Pink-Fest 2013 Salmon Fishing 20-23 SEPT 2013
 WWIA hosted four Heroes at Camp Stillwater in the Pacific Northwest! After attending the grand opening ceremony for the new bunkhouse, the Heroes were out on the water fishing for salmon. Quote from Wayne Blankinship, "This was the most awesome three days I have spent in a long time. John McDaniel's vision for Wounded Warriors in Action is going to help many Vets find healing through trips like this. I got to meet three other Vets who are now my friends for life. All I can say is AWESOME!!! Keep this up an I will help in any way I can to see that more Vets can experience the healing I feel I received in the past three days at Camp Stillwater." The heroes fished for Pink and Coho Salmon and caught 100-150 fish each day many times having all four Heroes and John with a fish on. Needless to say there were some sore arms at the end of the day.
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Founder's Letter
WWIA has been able to serve so many more Heroes than ever before based on the amazing generosity of the people like you. Thanks to repeat donors setting up Annual Trips, and new hosts who are contacting us all the time, we will be able to continue our mission to provide world class outdoor experiences to our Nation Combat Wounded Purple Heart Recipients! Even if you have just donated money on the website, listed us as your CFC benificiary, or provided a meals for an event, please know that we could not nurture these Heroes without your support!
I would like to give a special shout out to our WWIA Associates as well - these great Americans are Wounded Warriors themselves who have now dedicated their free time to serving other Wounded Warriors through the program. They are out in the field working constantly to raise money and serve our Heroes every day.
We truly appreciate the support we get from all over the country and encourage you to continue to show our Heroes how much we appreciate their sacrifices!
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Associates in Action!
Bryan Gray, an Associate in SW Ohio, has been working hard to raise money for WWIA through his contacts in the region. WWIA was honored to be one of four organizations chosen by the Pleasant Hill VFW Ladies' Auxiliary Golf Scramble.
With the help of Doug Thompson of Thompson's Guns in Middletown, OH, and David Studenka (WWIA Associate), Bryan also organized the The Southwest Ohio Gun Raffle to support the WWIA. A 3 Day - 3 Gun raffle, where a lucky winner will win one of the firearms each day from November 11th -13th. Kicking off the raffle on Veteran's Day, the firearm for the daily drawing is a very nice stainless steel Remington 1911 .45ACP, with the other two days offering a Glock 9MM, and a Remington tactical 12 gauge shotgun. Tickets for the raffle cost $10.00 each, but each ticket is eligible to win all three guns - so there is great value in the purchase. Additionally, the number of tickets available for the drawing is capped at 1,000 - adding more value, and increasing the chances for the purchasers to win. This raffle is only available to residents of Ohio!
Tim Spence (WWIA Sr. Associate in NC) runs two different events every year for other Wounded Warriors to attend, and accompanies our Heroes on other events all year long. Mark Broda (Sr. Associate in Indiana) has worked tirelessly to support 3 fishing events that served 16 Heroes and 2 racing events, as well as supported fund raising efforts.
The Wisconsin crew of Matt Tennessen, Lyle 'Scott' Spurgeon, Josh Kreuger, Jason Johns, Tommy Shenk, and Josh Huber are always getting things ready for the events in the area, and the Ohio group seems to always be working on another fundraiser or working hard to spread the word about WWIA.
Coupled with the efforts of these great Americans are John and Corrina Koenig in Washington, Jake Whipkey in PA and all the other people that support WWIA across the country, - you can be sure that there are a lot of people working hard to support our Heroes!
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WWIA's Camp Stillwater
Bunkhouse Grand Opening!
21 Sept 2013
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| The entire crew that worked to get the bunkhouse built, Rockport, Washington. |
WWIA held a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the Camp Stillwater Bunkhouse. Built on land owned by John and Corrina Koenig, this bunkhouse is set to house many WWIA Heroes as they participate inevents in the pacific northwest.
The Koenigs will guide an annual fishing trip in June, bear hunt in August, and pink salmon fishing or turkey hunt every other year. Other WWIA hosts may also lead trips. The Koenigs are also some of WWIA's most valued Associates.
The nonprofit SICBA provided $90,000 in labor and materials to build the 36-by-20-foot bunk house. WWIA is honored to have such tremendous support from the people in the area.
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Unicorr Fundraiser
sets the bar pretty high!
28 SEPT 2013
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| Check out the Size of this check! |
Led by Mike and Debi Davenport, these tremendous folks at Unicorr Packing Group blew the lid clean off...our single most successful fund raiser in WWIAhistory. Please join us in thanking them for their efforts to support our Heroes!
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Texas Inshore Fishing Trip
17-19 MAY 2013
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WWIA Heroes Kelsey Smith, Scott Lathan, and Craig Carp along with Operations Officer Dixon Gunther were shown some true Texas hospitality by hosts Travis Peace, Eric Engquist, Dave Evetts, and Chuck Tise. From the link up and the Fish Fry to the amazing fishing and the sharing of the varied history of the area, the Heroes had a great time fishing in Corpus Christi Bay for red fish, speckled trout, flounder, black drum, and sheep's head. Associate Craig says it the best trip he has every had and enjoyed the healing that was done by sharing experiences with each other.
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Alabama Inshore Fishing Trip
06-09 JUN 2013
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Host Ritchie Russell pulled in four Purple Heart Heroes to Dauphin Island Alabama for some In-Shore / Off-shore fishing action. Jhony Pleites, Dustin Hunter, Brandon Lloyd and Jonathan Burr along with Sr. Associate Mark Broda split up the first day amongst 3 boats for some In-shore fishing fun. The second day was made special by host Ritchie Russell's good friend, David Durden and his 68' Buddy Davis, the Ramble On! The crew set out for off-shore and limited out on Red Snapper in the lap of luxury on this incredible boat. Friends, family and the local community on Dauphin Island came together to provide a great time and our Heroes were able to relax and put their stress away for a few days of awesome southern outdoor fun.
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Boat Load of Heroes
San Diego, CA. 18-24 JUNE 2013
(Excel Sport Fishing Company)
The Boat Load of Heroes was a first time event for the WWIA and was made possible by the incredible generosity of 'Big' Al Gross and the Excel Sport Fishing Company! The WWIA showed up in San Diego with 11 Purple Heart Heroes and boarded the largest sport fishing vessel on the west coast, the Excel. Prior to lifting anchor they were treated to an extravagant dinner at the famous Bali Hai restaurant and were set sailing with smiles and laughter. Spending 5 full days at sea, 250 miles south of San Diego off the west coast of central Baja they chased Bluefin Tuna and Yellowtail all while being treated like royalty aboard this incredible vessel. The time at sea allowed our Heroes to leave their stress and difficulties and really spend some relaxing time together sharing stories and making new wonderful memories, not to mention catching 'boat loads' of fish! Upon returning to the San Diego Harbor they were met by 3 different fish processing companies that divided up the task of processing everyone's catch and shipping it home, ensuring everyone the opportunity to enjoy the spoils of their catch! This was a world class event by all accounts and many thanks go out to 'Big' Al and the entire crew of the Excel!
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Phelps, Wisconsin Fishing Jamboree
20-23 JUNE 2013
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| Just a little thank you from our Founder.. |
Associates/Hosts Scott Spurgeon and Robin Vold worked very hard to provide an awesome experience for four Heroes and one caregiver at the Phelps Fishing Jamboree at the many lakes in the Wausau, WI local area. They stayed in Land 'O Lakes, fished for two full days, enjoyed many meals as a group, and left the event glad to have had the experience and ready for more fishing whenever possible!
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Lake Erie Walleye and Perch Fishing
02-05 AUG 2013
WWIA Gathered together four Heroes, two Associates and three great event hosts for a weekend of fishing on Lake Erie. After getting together on Fri night to get the licenses and popping the Dramamine in anticipation of two days out on Lake Erie, they were ready to head out Sat morning for Walleye and Perch Fishing. They were housed in 30' camping trailers so that they could be right next to the water in order to get the most out of the experience. All meals were provided and everyone had a successful adventure. Thanks so much to Larry Fielder, Frank Broskey, and Steve Fielder for their generosity in supporting this event.
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New York Upland Bird Hunt
Couple's Retreat
06-09 SEPT 2013
The NY Upland Bird Hunt is a special event because it is attended by Wounded Warriors and their spouses. This event is led by the Reisdorf team of Jim and Mary Lou. While the men are off hunting, the ladies are treated to lunch and wine tastings with great food and camaraderie in the evenings. Notes from the Hosts:
"This year Jim and I hosted our 4th Annual NY Bird Hunt and 2nd Annual Couples Retreat. It is hard to describe all the emotions of sharing with these eight wonderful individuals. The sharing of injuries, pain, trauma, and also all the love and happy moments in their lives. I admire each of them for their service to our great country and their strength, courage, love and especially the unconditional support they maintain for each other. I feel so honored to be part of their lives and to be able to give back to them a time to enjoy an outdoor experience in their healing process. God bless them and may each of them heal well." Many thanks to the Reisdorfs for what they do for our Heroes!
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Pennsylvania Pheasant Hunt
27-30 SEPT 2013
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| The whole gang at the pheasant hunt! |
Many thanks to Sandy Deveney, and all the great folks from both the Fox Gap Rod & Gun Club and Gravel Creek Lodge who made this event such a success - it was like having two trips in one! The Associates and Warriors broke into two teams and rotated fly fishing for trout with hunting pheasant - all with the assistance of great guides and wonderful locations. They were lucky enough to have three Heroes and one Associate on each team - including two Vietnam Veterans. Thanks again to all who made this trip possible - our Heroes had a wonderful adventure!
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ON THE HORIZON
FUTURE EVENTS:
2nd Annual Musky Fly Fishing World Championship
Camp Hackett, Group A and B
Mo / KS Ducks N Bucks
Bridge Creek Trophy Hunt
Great Creek Hunt Club
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GET READY, GET SET...
Watch your inbox for a chance to participate in our upcoming Social Media Fundraiser beginning on 18 Nov 2013! Be sure to pass along the information to all your friends and contacts so that WWIA can show the online community just how much support we have for our Heroes!
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