Dreams Come
band of brothers builds fishing boat that will be free for other veterans to use on east lake
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VETERANS NEWS MAGAZINE
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21-foot, aluminum fishing boat docked at the East Lake Resort is ready for any veteran to take out on the water. The Bend chapter of the veterans group Oregon Band of Brothers raised about $15,000 in material and cash donations over the past few months to build the boat from scratch. The boat, which can seat nine people and has room for one wheelchair, is free for veterans. It also will be available for first responders to use personally or in an emergency. “All you have to do is call up the resort,” said Mike Cleavenger, a member of the Bend chapter of Oregon Band of Brothers and chairman of the boat project. The inaugural fishing trips happened over
Memorial Day weekend. Cleavenger said it was fitting, although no one planned to kick off the boat trips on the holiday weekend, when veterans who died while serving in the armed forces are remembered. It started over the weekend because that is when the resort opens for the season, he said. “It was a nice coincidence,” Cleavenger said. “We just plan to let people go fishing.” The local Band of Brothers chapter sees the boat as a nice gesture for fellow veterans, but also an accessible way for elderly veterans to enjoy the outdoors. One local veteran will have an especially meaningful boat trip this summer because he has a terminal illness, Cleavenger said.
