A Confession

By Jeremy Clarke

I’ll let you in on a secret: AHERO is not really about hunting. Or about deep-sea fishing. Or golf, MMA, flyfishing, or singer/ songwriter events. It isn’t really about any of the many cool activities we plan for our wounded Veterans and now (also) First Responders each year.

They’re all just Trojan horses. Meaning they’re part of a sneaky ploy to get Veterans out together at the AHERO Lodge or onto the Gulf of Mexico’s azure waters and white-sand beaches.

Take, for instance, the 92-ft Viking sportfishing yacht owned by brilliant businessman and philanthropist, Art Farvre. That beauty and other such vessels whose generous owners offer AHERO free-of-charge use, are just clever lures to bring folks in on just what AHERO is and who it’s for.

Like the 4000 acres of private hunting lands around the new AHERO home and headquarters (which comprises 40 acres, itself!) at Shorter, Alabama. Because of generous folks who own them, those lands are open to our Vets during our hunting events – all teeming with Bambi’s and their many-antlered dads. We just make up these “perks” to distract you and throw you off the scent!

JUST KIDDING

Actually, it really is our generous donors, volunteers, and supporters who make these wonders happen. They’re the ones who contribute toward the cost of flying Vets who suffer from wounds both seen and unseen down here from all over, putting them up in decent hotels, feeding them good Southern fare, and getting them to interact outdoors, with their fellow Veterans.

Each event can cost between $30,000 and $50,000 to put on. Which works out to roughly a thousand dollars per worthy Veteran or First Responder that we can afford to invite.

And, honestly, we need your help.

As noted on our pages here, AHERO has successfully purchased a permanent home in the form of the AHERO Warrior Lodge in the woodlands of central Alabama. Located in the midst of forty acres of private land, replete with a large, mature pond, it is bordered by thousands of acres of hunting land owned by friends and partners of AHERO.

THE REAL REASON WE NEEDED A PERMANENT HOME IS TIME

We run a number of events during the year, bringing 30 to 40 Veterans (sometimes more!) in from out of town at a time - to hunt or fish, or play music and/or golf … and to commune.

After each outdoor event, we sit down, say a prayer, break bread, and talk. But the talking requires time and space. So sometimes a weekend just isn’t enough.

Breaking down barriers, developing trust, getting to the core of an issue – all these can take a while. And can’t be rushed. This is important stuff. More than ten times as many Veterans take their own lives than are killed in the line of duty. Ten times. We work to push those numbers way, way down (preferably to zero). It’s a massive lift, we know.

So maybe we don’t have the solution. But we do have a solution. It isn’t a magic pill, but it can truly help and, honestly, the whole reason I started this article with the Trojan Horse metaphor is to show the lengths we go to bring this kind of effective help to those who have suffered so much in serving our country.

WHAT’S IN THIS KIND OF HELP?

Well, we’ve discovered it’s found in bringing folks together to spend time fishing or hunting then sitting around a campfire talking, connecting, beginning to trust and open up to peers who understand all about the demons that haunt.

It’s something great that results from providing connection with our brother and sister organizations (from equine therapy to yoga to drone piloting … and from the possibilities of careers in prescribed burning, wildland firefighting and land management, to the extraordinary value of having a service dog), each of which can make a huge difference in a person’s life. In these and other ways, AHERO works to encourage camaraderie, enjoyment, and the rediscovery of hope and inner peace.

AHERO’s programming is designed specifically to restore what was feared lost by a wounded or injured Veteran or First Responder. Or, as we refer to them all, heroes.

So this is an invitation. Come join us! Be All In 4AHERO, too, please. Call us at 910-5488864 or visit online at AHEROUSA.org. Do it whether you need help or wish to be of help.

And … thanks!

Providing use of his glorious 92-ft Viking fishing yacht, The Work of Art, each year to the AHERO Warrior Hook-up at Orange Beach is one way that successful businessman, Art Favre, has supported this organization’s efforts to help wounded Veterans (and now First Responders). Each year since AHERO began holding its spring Warrior Hook-Up there, Favre has made that possible by providing a wonderful “venue” for the event: his fabulous resort, The Wharf at Orange Beach.