Notes from the Field: October 2018

Photo taken at the 10th Annual Grand Ciel Lodge South Dakota Pheasant Hunt

Notes From the Field: October 2018

As we enter the winter season, October brought with it a bevy of opportunities for our Purple Heart Heroes to enjoy the great outdoors. WWIA offered seven different events across the country, from the Northwoods of Wisconsin to the Louisiana Bayou. There were also some outstanding fundraisers that were held in October and we would like to thank all of the Hosts, donors, sponsors, and participants for their patriotism and support. We would also like to thank everyone who has offered to represent WWIA at CFC events across the country. Thank you for sharing the good work of WWIA and encouraging others to help support our Heroes through their CFC pledges. Be sure to check out our October Spotlight Feature as we highlight one of this month's event Hosts. If you enjoy reading our newsletter, consider sharing it with friends and family to help us spread the mission and message of WWIA as we work to bring healing and restoration to our combat-wounded Heroes. Thank you. 

Events and Fundraisers

CFC Season is Here! Help Support WWIA with a Pledge!

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) season has officially begun! The CFC allows federal employees and retirees to make charitable contributions to several eligible charities they personally select by directing a portion of their income or annuitant payments to those non-profits. CFC is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign. Your pledges and contributions received help the WWIA continue our work assisting in the healing and restoration of our Heroes. As you look to make your CFC charity designations this season, we would appreciate you considering making a pledge to WWIA and making a direct difference in the lives of our Purple Heart Heroes. Click here to be taken to the CFC Donor Pledge Site. We thank you in advance for your consideration and for your faithful support as you partner with us.

2nd Annual Hero Shot Archery Whitetail Hunt

September 30th - October 6th

10th Annual Grand Ciel Lodge South Dakota Pheasant Hunt

October 12th - 15th

WWIA was honored to celebrate the 10th year of hosting Heroes at the annual Grand Ciel Lodge South Dakota Pheasant Hunt. Eight of our Heroes gathered in Plankinton, SD to enjoy a few days of world-class pheasant hunting while building bonds with their fellow Purple Heart brothers. The hunts were extremely successful with our Heroes harvesting 25 pheasants the first day and another 20 the following day. Outside of their time in the field, our Heroes had plenty of opportunities to relax, share stories, and take in some first-class meals such as prime rib, pheasant and wild rice soup, and venison chili and cornbread. It was another fantastic year for this stellar event. Our highest gratitude and appreciation to Hosts Brad and Julie Boisen for their incredible support of WWIA and our Heroes throughout the last decade. Special thanks as well to WWIA Guides Gabe Fierros and Jeremy Smith for their tremendous coordination of efforts throughout this event.

 "I am humbled and proud to have spent this time around heroes. Our hosts have been so generous. I am without words. The hunting was awesome and the attention to the habitat speaks volumes to the dedication the owners have made to the environment. I will work hard in growing the relationships I've made with the comrades of WWIA Grand Ciel Lodge Pheasant Hunt 2018." 

5th Annual Double Creek Lodge TN Archery Deer Hunt

October 12th - 15th

Inaugural Shell Beach Fishing

October 12th - 15th

WWIA welcomed a new event to Louisiana this October with the Inaugural Shell Beach Fishing Event. Four of our Purple Heart Heroes experienced some of the best fishing in the Southern U.S. Our Heroes woke early each morning to hit the water and explore the marshes and bayous as they spent two beautiful days bringing in redfish, speckled trout, and other indigenous saltwater fish. The food and accommodations were absolutely off the charts, and our Heroes were even treated to an authentic shrimp boil. There was plenty of downtime to relax, share stories and build new friendships. Each Hero went home with a cooler full of fish and a lifetime of memories from this exceptional new event. The local community welcomed and expressed their profound appreciation to these Warriors throughout their stay and the Heroes were genuinely grateful. Our heartfelt thanks to Hosts Sam Schudmak and Audie Murphy for honoring our Heroes with a first-class experience they will surely cherish. Additional thanks and gratitude to Captain's Casey, Sterling, Terry, and Jimmy, who have been helping with WWIA events for several years and have now taken on this new event. Thank you all for ensuring the finest care of our Heroes while in action. Special recognition to WWIA Guide Derek Duplisea for his assistance and support during this 4-day event.  

"This weekend was the most fun I've had in a long time. The WWIA put on a great event. All the staff and captains were very nice and knowledgeable. We caught lots of fish and had a blast. Being around other Warriors and Veterans is what made the trip better. I want to thank everyone that helped make this "trip of a lifetime" happen. Thank you so much."

6th Annual Bayfield Cast & Blast

October 18th - 22nd

The 6th Annual Bayfield Cast & Blast welcomed five of our Heroes to Delta, WI for a few days of relaxation, fellowship, first-class food, and plenty of fishing and hunting in the Northwoods. Our Heroes were greeted at the airport by the local American Legion, airport staff, and a news crew to honor and share their arrival for the event. Their time in the field and on the water did not disappoint, as there were plenty of opportunities to harvest deer and catch musky. As great as the hunting and fishing were, the Heroes all agreed that the true highlight of this trip was the camaraderie and new friendships formed during their time together. Special thanks to Terry and Patty Pajtash of The Scenic Drive Resort for their hospitality and kindness in providing lodging and meals for our Heroes throughout their stay, and also to the Delta Diner. We would like to also recognize and express our appreciation to Hosts Chris and Brenda Diesing and the entire Bayfield Team of volunteers, supporters, and donors who go out of their way each year to honor our Heroes. Additional gratitude goes to WWIA Guide Derek VanBuren and WWIA Lead Associate Matt Phillips for their coordination and assistance during the event. 

"After my grandfather passed last year I have been trying to come back to Northern Wisconsin to hunt. This trip filled that void and helped me to relive all the years he took me out there. I was able to get my first Musky and buck, a true gift. The healing and good times between the guys were truly amazing to experience. Lifelong friendships were made, and I will be forever grateful."

12th Annual Camp Hackett B

October 25th - 29th

Four of our Heroes traveled to Phillips, Wisconsin for the 12th Annual Camp Hackett Event. This event offered both fishing and hunting for our Warriors with the assistance of outstanding local guides. Our Warriors were able to bow hunt for whitetails, shotgun hunt for ruffed grouse and geese, and fish for prized Wisconsin musky. The town of Phillips welcomed and honored our Heroes throughout the 5-day event, only adding to the overall experience. The highlight of the trip was unquestionably the bonds and friendships made between brothers as they spent time in the field, on the water, and around the dinner table sharing stories and life experiences with one another. This event would not have been possible without the incredible support of the local community and the following individuals: Bob Bolz, Mike Reed, John Carlson, Don Angelo, Casey Williams, and Chad and Travis DeLeasky. Our continued thanks to the Tomahawk Wisconsin VA for being a part of this special event, to VFW Post 2687 for their ongoing support, and to CAE USA INC for graciously providing grant funding for this event. 

"I'm so grateful to Jake and John. The past 4 days have been a blessing to my soul. Laughter, friendship, and memories are what this place is all about. I'm also thankful to the people of Phillips as they opened up their homes and hearts and made me feel loved. This place is a sportsman's paradise and I loved being a part of this. A special thanks to Jake for always having a smile and making you laugh. I can't thank everyone enough, I hope to be a part of this again someday."  

Inaugural North Dakota Wild Pheasant Hunt

October 26th - 29th

WWIA was excited to offer our very first event in North Dakota this month. Five of our Heroes were warmly welcomed to the City of Garrison for the Inaugural North Dakota Wild Pheasant Hunt. Upon arrival, our Heroes were given an escort into Garrison courtesy of the McLean County Sheriff's Department. Prior to the first day of hunting, each Hero was given Danner Vital Hunting Boots and pheasant hunting vests from Scheels Sporting Goods and an Under Armour Hunt sweatshirt courtesy of Krause's SuperValu. The wild pheasant hunting was plentiful as our Heroes harvested almost 40 birds in two days. Our Heroes spent time getting to know one another, talking with members of the local community, and enjoying delicious food throughout the event. They were also gifted custom embroidered jackets with the WWIA logo and a Purple Heart Medal from Chris Wickman of Hunters Bar and Grill and were honored with a banquet dinner that was held at the Garrison City Auditorium with over 200 guests in attendance to show their support and appreciation. We were honored to have Congressman Kevin Cramer at the banquet. The community support and patriotism surrounding this event were second-to-none. Thank you to North Shore Inn and Suites for graciously lodging our Heroes, to Ron from West River Transit for providing transportation throughout their entire stay, and to Glen Schreiner Farm for providing bountiful hunting grounds. Our appreciation to Totten Trail, Ye Olde Malt Shoppe, Hunters Bar & Grill, Cenex (Hot Stuff Pizza), and Krause's SuperValu for providing outstanding meals for our Heroes. Our sincere gratitude and applause to Hosts Roy and Gerri McKenzie, the Garrison Chamber of Commerce, Krause's Markets, and everyone who worked together to make this new event such a tremendous success. Special recognition to and thanks to BHG and Leanne Wimer for their wonderful photography work, and to WWIA Guide Gabe Fierros for his outstanding contributions throughout this 4-day event.  

"This has been my first going on an event with WWIA, actually it has been my first experience with any type of this organization since I left the Marines Corps in 2009. I miss the brotherhood of the military and for almost the past 10 years have kept to myself, avoiding unnecessary interactions. This trip has opened my eyes and help rebuild the camaraderie that I miss so much. This experience and the generosity of the supporters, town, and Hosts shows me that there is so much good in the world. I am speechless, there are no words to say thank you or to even explain how I feel. Thank you for making everyone aware and for everything that is provided for not only vets but Purple Heart Vets. Semper Fi."

The 2018 Mercer Muskie Madness WWIA Fundraiser

October 19th - 20th

Our sincere thanks and appreciation to all of the amazing sponsors, donors, participants, and volunteers of the 2018 Mercer Muskie Madness WWIA Fundraiser. This fundraising event took place in Mercer, Wisconsin from October 19th-20th. They were able to raise an impressive $5,165.00 in support of WWIA and our Purple Heart Heroes. Special thanks and recognition to Host, Wayne Riebe, who has been instrumental in organizing and supporting our Heroes throughout the years. Additional thanks to The Gateway Lodge and Resort, and WWIA Purple Heart Associate Brian Eisch.

WWIA Southwest Ohio Chapter Bourbon Fundraiser & Clark County Sportsman's Club Clay Competition

We would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the WWIA Southwest Ohio Chapter for their incredible donation of over $12,000 raised from the joint efforts of their Bourbon Fundraiser and the Clark County Sportsman's Club Clays Competition. The Bourbon Fundraiser consisted of two parts. First were the sales of the Eagle Rare Bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery. A team from the Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati Juice Club and SW Ohio WWIA Chapter traveled to Buffalo Trace and picked an incredible barrel of Eagle Rare Bourbon to be used for the fundraiser. Bottles from the barrel pick were sold to the Juice Club with a charity bump, (bottles will be distributed at a later date). Secondly, a separate bourbon raffle consisting of over forty bourbons were raffled off to the Juice Club with all proceeds going to the Foundation. Special thanks to Mark Caskey and Nick Nessen for their coordination and support. 

The second fundraiser was the Clark County Sportsman's Club Clay Competition. This event featured a sporting clay competition between military service teams and was another outstanding event. Special recognition and thanks to Bob Fralick for his efforts and support in making this possible and to everyone who participated in the competition. High praise and appreciation to Dan Doll and Dave Studenka and the entire Southwest Ohio Chapter for their tremendous work and outstanding support of WWIA and our Heroes.

The Inaugural WWIA 5K is Coming! 

Tampa Bay, get ready for the WWIA 5K! Join us on Saturday, January 12, 2019. This timed 5K offers you the choice to run, walk, or stroll through beautiful Al Lopez Park. Our race is professionally timed and the Overall Top Male and Female finishers will receive prizes. Top Male and Top Female finishers in each age category will also be acknowledged. Every finisher registered before December 14, 2019 will receive a race shirt and finisher's medal. Stay for our after-party for ice cream, awards, and more! Discounted registration is available for Veterans who show their Military ID or Driver's License with a "V" symbol at packet pickup with Promo Code VET20. Purple Heart recipients will be able to participate free with registration to WWIA by using Promo Code PHFREE. Visit https://wwiaf.org/heroapplication/ and complete all three steps at the top of the page. Proceeds benefit the WWIA. We also have limited sponsorship opportunities available. Please email us at: info@wwiaf.org for more information. Thank you.

WWIA October Spotlight 

For our October Spotlight feature, we are proud to present to you, Hosts Chris and Brenda Diesing. Chris and Brenda, are avid WWIA supporters who host the Bayfield Cast & Blast which recently celebrated its 6th year of serving Heroes. They have 2 boys, Corey and Zech, and two dogs, Charlie and Daisy. They love spending time in the great outdoors whenever possible. Chris is currently a salesman for an interior contractor in the Milwaukee area. He and Brenda also have a cabin in the Northwoods that they enjoy visiting regularly. In fact, they call the cabin "home" and their house in Brookfield the place they "visit" 5 days a week to work. Chris was gracious enough to answer and share some questions about his own WWIA experience. Our sincere thanks to Chris and Brenda for their continued support and dedication to WWIA and our Heroes.

How did you first get involved with WWIA? I was doing some remodeling for Lead Associate, Josh Krueger. Josh and I hit it off right away as we share the same passion for the outdoors. At some point, I talked about all the assets I have up north and how I've always wanted to do something charitable. He pointed me in the right direction, apparently thinking I had enough to offer. I contacted John McDaniel and the rest is history.

Why do you choose to Host WWIA events? I've always wanted to serve. I've always wanted to help others that need it. There has always been a certain guilt for not serving my country when I was younger. Unfortunately, I failed the physical with fallen arches and bad asthma. These days, those things wouldn't have held as much weight in wanting to serve.  That guilt has driven me to serve those that have faithfully served us. I share this story with the Heroes in order to give a little of myself to them and I'm told that they understand and appreciate that guilt. Hosting events has brought our tight-knit community of Delta, WI in Bayfield County even closer together. The camaraderie and services offered here are second to none. Our area is teeming with game and people that want to help heal the internal wounds and struggles of our Purple Heart veterans. It is a very satisfying endeavor for everyone involved. For myself, it's like Christmas every October when we host these amazing Heroes! It is estimated that 22 veterans commit suicide every day. This is simply not acceptable to us and we're trying to do our part to prevent this. I did my research before partnering with WWIA and was happy that almost all of the money raised for WWIA goes directly toward serving these combat-wounded veterans, unlike other organizations people are familiar with.

What has been the biggest benefit of hosting WWIA Events?  We've found that hosting the event creates lifelong friendships with our guests. The fact that we're doing our part to save lives and show appreciation to our nation's Heroes is all the benefit I need. Selfishly, it extends my hunting season and I get free breakfast at The Delta Diner!

The Bayfield WWIA Chapter is an incredible example of a community working together to selflessly support our Heroes. How have you been able to galvanize such tremendous support and grow this vast network of donors, volunteers, and supporters over the years?   I've been visiting Bayfield County my entire life. I'm a fairly well-known guy in the community and have been told that I'm "more local than the locals" because I share time at different establishments. That's my own personal explanation. The community explanation is that it is such a small community that everyone knows one another, cares for each other, and rallies for each other in times of need.  It is an outdoors-based community that is steeped with people that have served or have children serving in the military. We take our armed forces seriously and enjoy the freedoms that they offer. When approaching the communities of Bayfield County about offering hunting/fishing opportunities for combat-wounded veterans, the people get behind it and knock it out of the ballpark. Many of my friends in the area have served and are fond of the mission. All of our supporters are educated about the mission and Foundation and know the value of helping. They like seeing the results of their support and seeing much of the money they contribute remain in the community as we all work to do that the best that we can.

What would you say to others who are considering getting involved with WWIA as a Host or in another capacity? Absolutely get involved. It's beyond rewarding. The people you meet, the generosity you see and the relationships you build are reason enough. Helping bring healing and saving the lives of those who've protected us is a worthwhile cause. Getting involved doesn't always have to be with your pocketbook either. Time and assets are a very valuable thing to offer. Do you have a large tract of land? Offer a hunt. Do you have a place on a great fishing lake? Offer a fishing trip. Spend some time on the WWIAF website and see what others are doing. If you feel you can offer the same or better, do it! If you'd like to talk to someone, reach out to an associate in your area and see what you can do together. Share and like the web pages. Exposure on social networking sites is a huge tool. These little things make a difference. Events can't happen without money and support. The more exposure you create, the more money can be raised. Think about having a fundraiser such as a golf outing, poker run, gun raffle, etc. The more involvement you have, the more you'll get out of it. I have people donate and tell us that we're doing such an incredible thing. I'm always quick to remind them that the incredible thing we're doing couldn't happen without their support.  

We would like to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the following supporters for their gracious contributions and dedication to WWIA and our Heroes. THANK YOU!

**C. Bruce McDade- $1,080 via V-Dac/CARS Donation**

**Thomas Kelley- $648.75 via V-Dac/CARS Donation**

**Texas Roadhouse Tabling Event- $2,885.34**

**Five Fish Productions LLC's 2018 Big Bass Donation $3,400**

**Donations toward the Inaugural Shell Beach Fishing Event: Committee to re-elect Paul D. Connick, Jr.- $500, The Committee to Elect Stephen Enright- $500, Connick and Connick LLC- $500, Martin Peake- $400, Dr. Michael Hayman- $200**

**Karen and Jeffrey Daun- $700 (Tuddy Golf Tournament)**

**Leigh Ann Wrona- $2,000**

**Donations toward MS Cast & Blast: Audie Murphy's Cruisin the Coast Fundraiser- $1,900, Cure Land, LLC- $500**

**Donation toward PA Cast & Blast: American Legion Post 779- $1,000**

**James Eastman- $5,000**