This year we added a new partnership to our community engagement efforts as a sponsor for the annual Fishing with Veterans event on Saturday, July 8th. As both a financial sponsor and volunteer at the event, we were excited that this year’s event was such a success!
Fishing with Veterans is an organization that strives to honor and give back to the veterans in our community in a unique way. The non-profit leverages Holland’s generous community to provide veterans with the resources necessary to have a dream fishing experience on Lake Michigan. Captains in Holland and the surrounding areas graciously donate their vessels, crews and equipment for the veterans’ use.
As a 100% veteran-owned business that proudly supports a variety of veteran-related organizations, we knew this was an event we wanted to be involved in.
After a beautiful morning out on the water, this year’s 33 boats came sailing back through the channel for a boat parade at Holland State Park. The veterans were greeted by a crowd of community members who had gathered along the shore to thank them for their service and a Coast Guard helicopter fly-over in their honor. Our veterans deserve to be thanked every day for the sacrifices they’ve made for our country—and they certainly deserve to catch some fish.
Pioneer Systems President Wayne Linderman is both an avid fisherman and a veteran US Army aviation officer. He was thrilled for the opportunity to chat with fellow veterans while helping to clean fish after the trip. He spoke with men of all ages and experiences, from a 93 year-old WWII vet to a man fresh out of the Navy. The general tone of the participating veterans was that, “the fishing was great, but the camaraderie was even greater.”
Learn more about Fishing with Veterans at fishingwithveterans.org and check out our Community Engagement section for more information on how we support veterans throughout our community.
