Veterans Fish, Fellowship At Annual Event
The Georgia Chapter of Safari Club International hosted 41 Purple Heart recipients during its annual Wounded Veterans Fishing Weekend on July 11-13 at Lake Lanier.
The Chapter, which has organized this marquee event for more than a decade, provides a full weekend of fishing and fun on Lake Lanier in northern Georgia.
During the three-day event, veterans, including family members or guests, are treated to an all-expenses-paid weekend of meals, accommodations and fishing.
The weekend festivities kicked off with a Friday evening dinner at Rooster’s Café, where, upon entrance, veterans were greeted with a standing ovation from restaurant customers and staff. An amazing meal ensued, and veterans and volunteers were given the opportunity to get to know each other.
One note is that upon entering the reserved room, one could see small American Flags on the tables and custom placemats at each dinner setting with signatures from the staff and patrons, along with a special note to each Veteran thanking them for their service and sacrifice.
The Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer were then initiated to acknowledge our great Country and our blessings to start the event.
Saturday morning began bright and early as the veterans set out for an 11-boat fishing tournament on Lake Lanier, guided by professional Lake Lanier guides. Bass Pro Shops, generously outfitted each veteran and volunteer with fishing award prizes, and the Georgia Chapter supplied drinks and snacks for the fishing part of the event.
As boats began leaving the dock, friendly competition waged, and the anglers were vying for several awards to be presented later in the evening.
Just minutes into the early morning fishing, the first fish was caught. This was the beginning, as anglers steadily reeled in striped bass, spotted bass, and catfish over the next several hours.
Following a fantastic morning of fishing and receiving their cleaned fish to take home, the anglers and guests went back to the headquarters hotel to have lunch and drinks and to tell fish stories. Everyone discussed their fishing prowess and looked forward to the evening activities, which included a catered dinner cruise.
Later that evening, more than 100 guests, including the veterans, their family members and guests, Georgia SCI volunteers and members, and dignitaries, boarded the AMISTAD, a 100-foot houseboat owned by Tommy and Chantal Bagwell.
During the dinner cruise, awards were presented to several of the anglers from the day’s fishing tournament, and participants heard from many dignitaries, including comments from one South Vietnamese Veteran who was the last person to board the last helicopter leaving Vietnam.
In addition, there was much discussion between the American Veterans and South Vietnamese Veterans about their combat experiences, even though they didn’t know each other back then, but they do now. This very powerful interaction left attendees quiet and teary-eyed.
“The Georgia Chapter of SCI is committed to supporting our men and women in uniform, and this is a way for us to show our appreciation”, said Dick Caillouet, a Vietnam Veteran and Vice President and Chairman of Wounded Veterans Events for Georgia SCI. “We want to show these veterans and their families that we care for them. One consistent message I receive from them is that we are indeed helping and changing people’s lives. It’s incredibly powerful.”
Throughout the years, the Georgia Chapter of SCI has touched more than 2,000 active-duty and veterans through its humanitarian efforts and events geared towards getting our service members outdoors.
The event was made possible by numerous volunteers and support from Georgia SCI, Ron Mullins of The Striper Experience and other Lake Lanier Fishing Guides, The Tommy Bagwell Family, Coppersmith Global Logistics, Bass Pro Shops, Rooster’s Café of Cumming, Ga, Fergusons Meat, Publix Supermarkets, Johns Creek Rotary, Dr. Barrocas and Family, and Holiday Inn Express of Cumming, Ga.