Project Healing Waters Chair is Finalist for L.L. Bean Outdoor Hero

As you attempt to recover from your July 4th festivities, please take a moment to cast your vote for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing's Chairman, Douglas Dear for L.L. Bean's Outdoor Hero 2011.

As you may already know, PHWFF is an organization that promotes healing for our wounded warriors through fly fishing. Mr. Dear has been a die hard supporter of this excellent organization for many years.

Douglas Dear was recognized in the nomination for the L.L. Bean Outdoor Heroes Award for his passionate leadership and tireless efforts which brought about significant and sustained program growth in just four years. From the program’s inception at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. to more than 100 programs in 2011, PHWFF volunteers have assisted disabled veterans and recovering soldiers by exposing them to the therapeutic benefits of fly fishing. The number of PHWFF volunteers and participants has increased every year, and, in 2010, some 3,000 disabled veterans and recovering military service members were involved in regularly scheduled classes and fishing outings offered by PHWFF. Through fly fishing instruction, fly tying classes, fly casting lessons, rod building and fly fishing outings, participants learn new skills that help them enjoy the healing properties of the outdoors and lessen the symptoms of their disabilities.

If being a great guy wasn't enough to get your vote, a win for Douglas means a big donation for Project Healing Waters:

A $5,000 donation will be made to the winner’s 501 (c)(3) nonprofit and the individual with the most votes will also receive a $500 L.L. Bean gift card. Douglas stated, “If I am fortunate enough to win the $5,000 for Project Healing Waters, I will donate the $500 to the organization as well.”

Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your day to cast your vote and help a great organization.

Events: Project Healing Waters 2-Fly

Follow this link for more info

James Gandolfini: An Offer You Can't Refuse

This comes via the desk of the Editorial Trophy Wife. Christie's Auction House is holding an auction that appeals to our inner mob boss (lest you forget that our day job is in construction and was once based in Jersey.) James Gandolfini head of HBO's fictional Soprano family is selling the shirt off his back and donating the proceeds to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Black, olive, and cream short sleeve button front shirt by Nat Nast worn by the character Tony Soprano played by actor James Gandolfini in HBO's award winning series The Sopranos. Mr. Gandolfini wore the shirt in "The Ride" (Season 6, Episode 9) during the sequence in the Soprano kitchen where Carmela talks with Tony about Adriana's disappearance and tells him that Ade's mother thinks Christopher may have killed her.

It seems Mr. G got to keep the clothes from the show and has decided to dispose of them while helping out a worthy cause. If you decide to bid be sure to remember that only items worn by Tony create a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project. Uncle Junior must be keeping the money for himself.

Don Barone: War and Fishing

ESPN's Don Barone is leaving the ESPN studios to write for ESPNOutdoors.com and B.A.S.S. Before he moves on he sent us a link to one of his best stories yet about a fishing trip with a wounded warrior.

Here is an excerpt from his ESPN.com article:

Dan Laffin, standing up in the turret, was getting lit up from RPG's (Rocket Propelled Grenades). Out of the night, from both sides of the road shoulder-fired bombs streaked into the Humvee, and landed right next to where Dan was standing.

Dan: "Never saw it coming, caught in a cross-fire. The shrapnel tore through my left shoulder, wrist, face, neck, ear …" He suffered Traumatic Brain Injury, suffers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, deaf in one ear, except for the constant ringing which tends to drown everything out.

Dan is telling me this standing on the banks of the Farmington River in New Hartford, Conn. He sticks out his left arm and pulls up the sleeve, I see that "most" of his left wrist is still there. "Good thing it's not my casting arm."

Don't worry, we will keep you informed about all of Don's new efforts.

photo: Don Barone / ESPN.com

Cabelas Signs Sponsorship With Paralyzed Vets

David Uchic from the Paralyzed Veterans of America sent us this press release announcing a sponsorhip deal with outdoors big box retailer Cabelas:

Washington DC-Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans) has reached a sponsorship agreement with Cabela's, the World's Foremost Outfitter. Cabela's will support the 2007 PVA Bass Tour and the 11th Annual PVA National Trapshoot Circuit.

"Paralyzed Veterans is honored and deeply grateful to have a company like Cabela's on board with the PVA Bass Tour and PVA National Trapshoot Circuit," said Randy L. Pleva, Sr., national president of Paralyzed Veterans. "And we would like to thank Cabela's for providing outdoor clothing to the disabled anglers and trapshooters who are competing in our events."

The PVA Bass Tour, a B.A.S.S. sanctioned event, consists of five annual events from Augusta, GA, to Ft. Hood in Belton, TX. The Tour provides fishing opportunities to both disabled and nondisabled anglers. The PVA National Trapshoot Circuit consists of 10 annual events from Myrtle Beach, SC, to San Diego, CA. The Circuit was created to give individuals with disabilities a chance to participate in the recreational and competitive sport of trapshooting. One of the goals of the Circuit is to enable shooters with disabilities and able-bodied shooters to compete as equals.

Programs such as the Bass Tour and Trapshoot Circuit could not take place without the generous support of sponsors such as Cabela's. "Cabela's is proud to partner with the Paralyzed Veterans of America," said Dennis Highby, president and chief executive officer of Cabela's. "We're honored to help give these anglers and trapshooters a chance to compete in the outdoor sports they, and we, enjoy."

Founded in 1946, Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans) is the only congressionally chartered veterans service organization dedicated solely for the benefit and representation of individuals with spinal cord injury or disease. Paralyzed Veterans is a dynamic, broad-based organization with more than 19,000 members in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. To learn more about Paralyzed Veterans, visit its website at www.pva.org.

Cabela's Inc., headquartered in Sidney, NE, is the world's largest direct marketer-and a leading specialty retailer of-hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise. Founded in 1961, Cabela's has grown to become one of the most well-known recreation brands in the world, and has long been recognized as the World's Foremost Outfitter. Through Cabela's direct business and its growing number of destination retail stores, it offers a wide and distinctive selection of high-quality outdoor products at competitive prices while providing superior customer service. Cabela's also issues the Cabela's CLUB VISA credit card, which serves as its primary customer loyalty rewards program.

Healing Waters

Douglas Dear, the owner of Virginia fly fishing destination Rose River Farm, gave us a heads up about an article in the Richmond Times Dispatch about wounded Army Ranger Eivind Forseth's experience fly fishing through Project Healing Waters.

"At the time, I was very frustrated with every aspect of my life because of my wounds and my recovery from the wounds. I thought it was just one more thing that was going to frustrate me, and it would be one more thing to remind me I had a permanent disability."
Hooking a fish changed all that.

Project healing water's mission says it all:

Project Healing Waters salutes all of our brave armed forces, and strives to serve those who have come home woundedand aid in their physical and emotional recovery by introducing or rebuilding the skills of fly fishing and fly tying.

Here is a link to the article in the Times Dispatch and a link to the good folks at Rose River Farms where they offer trophy trout fishing.