NEWS & STORIES
The Travis Mills Foundation partners with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing and the Travis Mills Foundation have partnered to add therapeutic angling opportunities for combat injured veterans and their families by introducing them to the healing properties of nature and the sport of fly fishing at regular retreats focused on relaxation, adaptive sports, and family recreation. The retreats will continue providing support to combat injured veterans and their families throughout the year.
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF), a nonprofit that supports disabled active military and veterans through fly fishing, is working closely with the Travis Mills Foundation in Maine to provide combat injured veterans and their families with the opportunity to enjoy the healing properties of nature and fly fishing through the introduction to, and use of, adaptive fly fishing tools and technologies. The regularly held Travis Mills Foundation retreats will employ fly fishing, with support from PHWFF volunteers and instructors, in a safe, supportive environment for these veterans to engage in the therapeutic elements of the sport while fostering personal bonds and peer support. It is through these parallel activities, collaboration and peer support that PHWFF veteran participants and retreat attendees will have new opportunities to heal and continue on their journeys to recovery and reintegration.
Through involvement with the work and activities of the Travis Mills Foundation, veterans will advance their skills in the sport of fly fishing while joining a new community of friends and mentors who share their own personal experiences. The focus on recovery, camaraderie, spousal support, reconnection, relaxation and reintegration of our military heroes stands tall with both organizations missions’ and couples perfectly with the therapeutic respite intrinsically embedded in nature and the sport of fly fishing.
“This is a great opportunity to establish a strategic partnership with a veteran nonprofit that shares our commitment to the physical and emotional recovery for our nation’s disabled veterans,” says Todd Desgrosseilliers, President and CEO of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, “Our organizations both serve as a conduit to this cause with a purpose. This partnership will amplify our impact and strengthen our ability to accomplish our missions.”
This new partnership provides an outstanding new venue for veterans to continue on their journey of healing and recovery, while becoming involved with another like-minded community and organization.
The first joint retreat will take place on July 4 – 6, 2017 in the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine. The Travis Mils Foundation retreats are offered at no-cost to the participants and are led by professional facilitators and expert fly-fishing instructors from Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.
UPDATE: This first retreat was attended, and filmed by, The NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. You can see the therapeutic PHWFF program in-action as fly casting, fly tying, and fishing were taught by dedicated volunteers Jack Mosher and Catherine Gordon.
The Travis Mills Foundation supports combat injured veterans and their families through long term programs that help these heroic men and women overcome physical obstacles, strengthen their families, and provide well-deserved rest and relaxation. You can learn more at www.travismills.org/foundation/
About Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc.:
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings. You can learn more at www.projecthealingwaters.org.