Wounded Warrior Anglers open new facility
An idea that started as a dream years ago and not long ago became a reality now has a home to call its very own, thanks to the benevolence of others.
The Wounded Warrior Anglers cut the ribbon and held an open house on its new brick-and-mortar location at 1490 Pine Island Road, Unit 5, on Tuesday.
The event featured a color guard, many of the Wounded Warrior Anglers, friends, dignitaries and donors who surprised the group with more funding.
Judy Souders, vice president and co-founder of the group, said the WWA did its work at her house for the first 5-plus years of its existence.
“It’s something we had a dream about since we formed it, it’s always been there. It’s taken us a while to get the funds to get this location,” Souders said. “Now that it’s come to fruition, we’re excited we can help veterans and families.”
The Wounded Warrior Anglers is a group that caters to veterans through alternative therapies by getting them on the water fishing and teaching them to build their own rods to give them self-worth.
Many of these veterans suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression or other mental illnesses.
“We want to knock that 23 veterans dying of suicide daily down by helping to get things in a more positive direction for them,” Souters said, whose husband, David, helped found the organization.
“It’s been a 6-year project to get to this point and we’re glad we can impact that many more veterans,” David said. “I was injured in 2008 and it became my own personal therapy and it’s blossomed since then.”
It’s the veterans who gain the most benefit from this program. Mike Plainte, a former Navy Corpsman, said he moved to Southwest Florida in 2012 and became a recluse who rarely went out.
“I always had a joy for fishing. One day I met Dave driving down the road and told me to go online to check it out,” Plainte said. “That week was our first redfish tournament and I met them. Now, I fish for a living. I’m a kayak angler, I do charters and tournaments. They lifted me back up.”
Board member Kevin Santos, an 18-year Army veteran, said he met Dave at a PTSD class at the VA. At the time, he had no friends or people he knew, but Dave got him out fishing and soon became one of the founding members.
“It helped me. I have a girlfriend and can hold a relationship. It’s helped me a bit,” Santos said. “We’ve been looking forward to this. It’s great because we’ll have rod-building classes, they can use them for their own therapy.”
Kevin Purdy, another board member and a disabled veteran, said he had always been active in charity work and was looking for something to do. He said once he met the Souders, he was amazed.
“You never realize the ability of fishing and reaching into somebody’s soul. We’re reaching those who have been shut in, antisocial and not active in society,” Purdy said. “Spend a day out on Pine Island Sound with two guys and see the sun rise. You enjoy the moment. During the day things come out that they haven’t shared in years. A bond is created, and that day becomes a day that changes their life.”
During the ceremony, Ken and Mary Geib, owners of the Nauti Parrot in North Fort Myers, handed the Souders a check for $3,500, most of which was raised during a fundraiser on Super Bowl Sunday.
For the Geibs, giving back to the community is part of what they do. They have done numerous fundraiser events at the Nauti Parrot during the year it has been open.
“It’s a local organization that we wanted to give back to. We live in Cape Coral and we wanted to keep it local,” Ken Geib said. “They have given so much to help us, we needed to do something to help them.”
Among the dignitaries on hand were Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pender-grass and Cape City Councilmember Richard Leon.
Pendergrass’ father was a World War II veteran and said that when he was young they didn’t have things like this for people like his father.
“It’s amazing what the community does now with groups like this since the government doesn’t really provide services,” Pendergrass said. “This helps the veterans have a place to come to rather than sit home and get more depressed.”
For additional information about the Wounded Warrior Anglers, call 239-257-3410.