07-17-2017, 04:46 PM
First of all I'd like to personally thank each and every one of the volunteer boaters that took the time to come up and support our event at Strawberry this year. Without you we could not have an event period!
We had just over 80 veterans from the VA signed up this year and that is why we were sweating not having enough boat seats. In the last few years our average has been 80 sign up and we get about 60 - 65 actually show up. One year we had 93 show up but the average has been around 65 the last few years. I'm not sure what happened this year but we ended up with only 47 veterans showing up. We'll be working with the VA in the after action review to try and understand how to improve that number for next year.
I would like to personally thank the several boaters who were willing to take out some of my volunteer team after we ran out of disabled veterans. I think we ended up with 5 boats that we did not have disabled veterans for . After I explained the situation to them these generous folks took out members of my staff, 99% of whom are veterans, just not disabled.
Other than the lower turnout from the VA we had a fantastic event with great weather. As some have mentioned on the original thread Adam Eakle with KSL Outdoors was there and half of his program broadcast on the 29th of this month will be about this year's event. Set your DVR's.
As we did this year, we will once again target mid to later June for the event to try and capture that hot fishing. Hopefully we won't run into another conflict with events for the VA. The first 3 years of this event it was held the first week of august but based on boater's feedback we had continually tried to push it up each year to hit the better fishing. This year the fishing was a bit slower than it had been 2 or 3 weeks ago and because of that some of the boaters were disappointed. I want to let you all know that while us hardcore fishermen set pretty high expectations for ourselves of limiting out that's not what this event is about and I can tell you it definitely is not what the veterans expect or think this is about. For them it's the recognition, comradere, relaxation, and feeling that people care about them enough to donate their time to a total stranger. Most of them don't care how many fish they catch or what type. Most of them don't get the opportunity to go out like this other than our event and they really cherish the experience.
My whole point of this discussion is to try and convey to each of you how special your volunteering of your time and resources was to these folks and ask that you please not measure your success by the amount of fish you put in the boat because I guarantee you the veterans that you took out don't do that.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and to Trevor, my Spanish Fork team (Knights of Columbus & veteranms), and the IMFLASH volunteers I couldn't do it without you all.
I drafted Trevor about 3 years ago when 3 members of my original team moved away. Since then Trevor has been my right arm and the 2 of us have been able to get the work of what previously was 4. I really appreciate you buddy and hope you have some great family vacation time now that we're done for this year.
Lastly, I'd like to encourage more of the boaters to attend our luncheon after the event. This is really the only opportunity that we get to give you all some recognition as things are so hectic getting on the water in the morning. We have lunch, some recognition and a raffle for the veterans. Each veteran receives a gear bag with one raffle ticket in it. I try to put together enough items from donations for this event each year so that each veteran will win something at the raffle.
This year one for the boaters donated some ice fishing rod holders for this and they really went over well. If any of you care to donate anything for this raffle next year please just bring it with you or feel free to contact me.
Here is a list of the companies that support our event, please support them when you have a chance.
IM FLASH
Hansen Baits
American Land and Leisure
Rising Sun Properties
Maniac Baits
Colonial Flag
Redmon Minerals (Real Salt)
Smith and Edwards
Pure Fishing
Fresh Water Basics
Sportsman's Warehouse Riverdale
Thank you all!!!
[signature]
We had just over 80 veterans from the VA signed up this year and that is why we were sweating not having enough boat seats. In the last few years our average has been 80 sign up and we get about 60 - 65 actually show up. One year we had 93 show up but the average has been around 65 the last few years. I'm not sure what happened this year but we ended up with only 47 veterans showing up. We'll be working with the VA in the after action review to try and understand how to improve that number for next year.
I would like to personally thank the several boaters who were willing to take out some of my volunteer team after we ran out of disabled veterans. I think we ended up with 5 boats that we did not have disabled veterans for . After I explained the situation to them these generous folks took out members of my staff, 99% of whom are veterans, just not disabled.
Other than the lower turnout from the VA we had a fantastic event with great weather. As some have mentioned on the original thread Adam Eakle with KSL Outdoors was there and half of his program broadcast on the 29th of this month will be about this year's event. Set your DVR's.
As we did this year, we will once again target mid to later June for the event to try and capture that hot fishing. Hopefully we won't run into another conflict with events for the VA. The first 3 years of this event it was held the first week of august but based on boater's feedback we had continually tried to push it up each year to hit the better fishing. This year the fishing was a bit slower than it had been 2 or 3 weeks ago and because of that some of the boaters were disappointed. I want to let you all know that while us hardcore fishermen set pretty high expectations for ourselves of limiting out that's not what this event is about and I can tell you it definitely is not what the veterans expect or think this is about. For them it's the recognition, comradere, relaxation, and feeling that people care about them enough to donate their time to a total stranger. Most of them don't care how many fish they catch or what type. Most of them don't get the opportunity to go out like this other than our event and they really cherish the experience.
My whole point of this discussion is to try and convey to each of you how special your volunteering of your time and resources was to these folks and ask that you please not measure your success by the amount of fish you put in the boat because I guarantee you the veterans that you took out don't do that.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and to Trevor, my Spanish Fork team (Knights of Columbus & veteranms), and the IMFLASH volunteers I couldn't do it without you all.
I drafted Trevor about 3 years ago when 3 members of my original team moved away. Since then Trevor has been my right arm and the 2 of us have been able to get the work of what previously was 4. I really appreciate you buddy and hope you have some great family vacation time now that we're done for this year.
Lastly, I'd like to encourage more of the boaters to attend our luncheon after the event. This is really the only opportunity that we get to give you all some recognition as things are so hectic getting on the water in the morning. We have lunch, some recognition and a raffle for the veterans. Each veteran receives a gear bag with one raffle ticket in it. I try to put together enough items from donations for this event each year so that each veteran will win something at the raffle.
This year one for the boaters donated some ice fishing rod holders for this and they really went over well. If any of you care to donate anything for this raffle next year please just bring it with you or feel free to contact me.
Here is a list of the companies that support our event, please support them when you have a chance.
IM FLASH
Hansen Baits
American Land and Leisure
Rising Sun Properties
Maniac Baits
Colonial Flag
Redmon Minerals (Real Salt)
Smith and Edwards
Pure Fishing
Fresh Water Basics
Sportsman's Warehouse Riverdale
Thank you all!!!
[signature]
Sunrise on the water
