Wounded Veterans Get Hooked on Crappie Fishing

SPRING PARK, Minn., June 6, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the cool and windy weather, it might not have been the best day to reel 'em in. "We had to wear three layers," says U.S. Army veteran, and Wounded Warrior Project^®(WWP) Alumna, Ginger MacDonald, "but that didn't keep us from enjoying a fantastic crappie fishing excursion." Ginger and other wounded veterans recently participated in the annual crappie contest organized by Fishing for Life and WWP.

The 6^th annual event on Lake Minnetonka gave warriors another opportunity to get together and forget about daily stresses.

Ginger admits she doesn't have a lot of fishing experience, but her goal wasn't to fill the freezer. "I wanted to see some old and new faces, have fun on the water, and take one more step toward recovery."

Ginger lives with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a hearing impairment, and has issues with her shoulder, and knees. She served as a health care specialist in Iraq and, along with a lot of heavy lifting, she worked in the ranges for weapons qualifications. "Because of my injuries, it's hard for me to be in a situation where I'm not in control; a large boat, with a lot of people, wouldn't work. Fortunately, WWP accommodated me."

A boat guide took Ginger and a couple of others out to try to draw the crappies out of their deep-water haunts. The anglers say you can catch "a mess of them" on the Minnesota waters, but Ginger didn't get that lucky. "We did catch some small ones but, most importantly, we learned a lot, and it was so relaxing."

U.S. Army veteran Donna Howe agrees. "I had a great day just being with other warriors for a day of bonding and healing. I want to thank WWP and the local coordinators for the opportunity to share quality time together with my fellow warriors and enjoy the great outdoors."

Ginger and Donna didn't catch the "big one," but, with so many warriors and family members participating, there was enough for a huge fish fry at the end, and both agreed on the most important thing: the day at the lake helped them realize they are not alone.

Learn more about free life-saving programs and services for wounded veterans at https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs.

About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP's purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160606/375819 

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project