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Ellsworth Elks
Support Wounded Warrior Project
On August 25, 2010, members of the Ellsworth Elks Lodge held a fish fry
and entertainment in support of the Wounded Warrior project.
The Lodge has agreed to offer their help to the Wounded Warrior project
whenever they are in the Acadia area. This year, through the assistance
of member Sue Soper, who works for a lobster co-op in the Winter Harbor
area. She was approached by Kelly Bernier, who works at the resource
center at the old navy base in Winter Harbor. Bernier asked if there
was anything that the co-op could do for the "Warriors?" She
set up lobster boat rides and trap pulling, and have been doing this
for two years.
Soper then asked if there was anything that the Elks could do for the
program, and the dinner and entertainment was the recommendation. The
Ellsworth Elks have agreed to do this whenever they are in the area.
Entertainment for the event was donated by a Past Exalted Ruler and his
music partner. (Will Raney and Mr. Lydick)
This was the first support dinner for the project, and it was very well
attended. According to Rene' Wiesner, wife of Exalted Ruler Jeff
Wiesner, "Some of our vets had a hard time with this dinner
because the they were shocked at how young the guys were,"
referring to the Wounded Warriors that attended the event.
The Wounded
Warrior Project believes in the power of nature and recreation to help
warriors dealing with combat stress. Project Odyssey, an outdoor
rehabilitative retreat that combines adventure challenges with
opportunities for peer support and group processing, was created to
support warriors in their recovery from combat stress.
Recreational
experiences ranging from rock climbing in the Black Hills of South
Dakota to herding cattle on Wildcatter Ranch, encourage personal growth
among participants and team building within the warrior community.
In conjunction
with the National Park Service, Project Odyssey takes place on a
variety of geographical locations over the course of five days.
Past event sites include Wildcatter Resort & Ranch in Graham,
Texas; Marriott Cocoa Beach in Miami, Florida; National Ability Center,
Park City, Utah; Acadia National Park in Maine. Each location
offers a unique experience that is different from the last and varies
based on geographical resources.
Partnering with
the Vet Centers across the country, Wounded Warrior Project recruits
combat warriors from across the country who are currently enrolled in
counseling services. Odyssey allows participants to continue
their therapeutic journey in a novel, dynamic setting with peers and
support from Wounded Warrior Project and Vet Center professionals.
More
information can be found here:
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/content/view/942/1110/#ixzz0xoaUsQ4H
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