Operation North State Info and schedule
Hello Top Shelf Fishin’ Festivals Host Boaters!
This past Thursday, Operation North State hosted our first ever (after 3 seasons) 2106 Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival Kick Off meeting at Tilley Harley Davidson in Salisbury at the host boaters request. Thanks to the 60 folks that came out, to Tilley’s for providing the facility and food and American Legion Post 336 from East Bend for making the chicken stew. Everyone asked that we host another Kick Off next year!
The goal of the Kick Off Meeting was to: ALLOW ALL OF US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF RECREATIONAL THERAPY IN THE LIVES OF THE WOUNDED WARRIORS AND DISABLED VETERANS THAT FISH WITH US, TO LEARN THEIR TRIGGERS AND WHAT ACTIVITES WILL PUT SMILES ON THEIR FACES - OF WHICH YOU AND I CAN PLAY A MAJOR ROLE. NOTE: 22 VETERANS DIE EVERY DAY FROM SUICIDE – RECREATIONAL THERAPY CAN BE LIFE-SAVING THERAPY. AND, EXTENDING OUR HAND AND SPEAKING SOME WORDS OF APPRECIATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT HELPS TOO – THAT’S WHAT THIS KICK-OFF MEETING WAS ALL ABOUT.
The testimonials and appreciation expressed from the wounded warriors and disabled veterans during the Kick Off Meeting towards ONS were so moving – several of them mentioned Operation North State, recreational therapy, fishing with you guys and gals, the support of sponsors, supporters and volunteers as being “life-saving” to them personally. A few wounded warriors openly discussed having had a gun to their head – it’s so important we do our part in providing help to keep hope, purpose, love and the will-to-live in their respective lives.
Operation North State trusts that we can count on your assistance again this year when the Festivals come to your favorite lakes and/or communities. We are honored to add a new Fishin’ Festival this year; it’s our first Fishin’ Festival of the year in Edenton on Saturday, April 2. Plus, we will return to all the communities and lakes where we hosted Fishin’ Festivals in 2015 as well. The addition of the Edenton TSFF brings us to a total of SEVEN Fishin’ Festivals for 2016. We also have a group down east that wants to take our wounded warriors and disabled veterans off-shore fishing in May and another fishing club down east wants to take them kayak fishing around Elizabeth City/Albemarle Sound this spring/summer/fall.
Our Needs:
Please sign up as a host boater in as many Festivals as you can. And, soon…
Be on the lookout for donations for door prizes and we always have wounded warriors and disabled veterans in need of used rods & reels. This past year you collectively donated 65 rods & reels which we distributed.
The wounded warriors and disabled veterans are also asking to go fishing with you one-on-one any time of the year.
We want to locate a lake or large pond in the Piedmont with picnic and restroom facilities whereby we can host a 150-person half-day / fun-day fishing rodeo whereby the wounded warriors and disabled veterans can bring their kids and fish from the bank. We need help locating this facility – this will be a summer outing. We would like for you to park your boat for the day and come help. They are really asking for a day to spend with their peers, families and friends. The only other Fishin’ Festival where we can accommodate this request is at the Peer Fishin’ Festival at Oak Island in October – I was a huge success last year. Close to a dozen citation fish were caught during this one-day Festival!
And lastly, we also have several wounded warriors and disabled veterans that have asked to fish in your weekend club tournaments. Let me know if your club would like to show one or two of them a VIP fishing outing from time to time.
Now for some Fishin’ Festival Facts:
· We have to closely monitor the level of energy you would typically see in a weekend fishing tournament in our Fishin’ Festivals. A lot of noise, explosive noises and the bumps, jumps, speed and acceleration with typical tournament blast-offs are triggers some of these guys and gals can’t handle. Our current process is working well. Also by taming things down a little, it helps keep the cost of our general liability insurance policy down.
· It takes 900 – 1100 emails and 3 face-to-face planning committee meetings to host a Festival.
· Each FF is a 120-day process.
· Each FF is around a $30,000 retail-valued outing which you make possible.
· For 50 host boaters to show up for the day of the FF, we actually need to have 55 confirmed a week prior to the date of the Festival – things happen.
· For 50 wounded warriors and disabled veterans to show up for the day of the FF, we actually need to have 65 confirmed a week prior to the date of the Festival – a lot of things happen with these guys and gals, i.e., illness, change in meds, no transportation and can’t financially afford the trip are the main reasons for cancellation. Note: the last three Fishin’ Festivals had waiting lists. And already this year, all six of the lakes’ Fishin’ Festivals are 80% filled.
· It takes around $5,000 in actual cash for food, a general liability insurance policy, t-shirts and gift cards per FF.
· The North Carolina National Guard provides logistics for all seven Festivals. This is a huge help!
· The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission waives the fishing licenses for the Festivals and provides Special Usage Permits for the Lake Norman, Badin Lake and Jordan Lake Fishin’ Festivals. And, it takes two fishing license waivers from the Coastal Marine Authority for the wounded warriors and disabled veterans to fish the coastal waters at New Bern’s and Edenton’s Fishin’ Festivals.
· It takes around 30 days to submit and receive approval for all FF permits. The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission takes great care of us!
· We currently have Title Sponsorships from the Independence Fund, the Petty Family Foundation, Randolph County Tourism Development Authority, and American Legion Posts’ donations to cover 50% of the cash needed for all Fishin’ Festivals.
· The owners of Ocean Crest Pier at Oak Island, the Randolph County Tourism Development Authority, Bayside Marina in Edenton and the Town of New Bern have provided Special Usage Privileges as well!!!
· There is currently nothing else like our 2016 Fishin’ Festivals Schedule being offered in the country that we can find – utilizing SEVEN different venues/premier fisheries in one state that offers 650 wounded warriors and disabled veterans a great day on the water!!! Again, all made possible by you!!!
Thanks! Hope to hear from you soon!
Terry
Terry Snyder
Founder/Chairman/Proud Volunteer
Operation North State
151 Windemere Ct.
Winston-Salem, NC 27127
office: 336.764.5967
cell: 336.406.3459
http://www.operationnorthstate.com
OPERATION NORTH STATE’S
TOP SHELF FISHIN’ FESTIVALS’
2016 SCHEDULE
Date: April 2 (Saturday)
Event: 1st Annual Edenton Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival
Location: Bayside Marina & Grill, 802 W. Queen St.
Edenton, NC 27932
# of Participants 50 Host Boaters & 50 Wounded Warriors / Disabled Veterans
Date: April 14 (Thursday)
Event: 2nd Annual Lake Norman Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival
Location: Pinnacle Access Area, 1580 River Hwy (Hwy 150)
Mooresville, NC 28117
# of Participants 75 Host Boaters & 75 Wounded Warriors / Disabled Veterans
Date: April 28 (Thursday)
Event: 4th Annual Badin Lake Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival
Location: Circle Drive Access Area, 724 Shoreline Drive
New London, NC 28127
# of Participants 50 Host Boaters & 50 Wounded Warriors / Disabled Veterans
Date: June 3 (Friday)
Event: 2nd Annual New Bern Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival (Neuse and Trent Rivers)
Location: Lawson Ramp, 1309 Country Club Road
New Bern, NC 28560
# of Participants 50 Host Boaters & 50 Wounded Warriors / Disabled Veterans
Date: June 7 (Tuesday)
Event: 2nd Annual Randleman Lake Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival
Location: Main Access Ramp, 7123 Adams Farm Rd.
Randleman, NC 27317
# of Participants 50 Host Boaters & 50 Wounded Warriors / Disabled Veterans
Date: September 30 (Friday)
Event: 1st Jordan Lake Top Shelf Fishin’ Festival
Location: Farrington Point Access Ramp, 605 Farrington Point Rd.
Apex, NC 27523
# of Participants 50 Host Boaters & 50 Wounded Warriors / Disabled Veterans
Date: October 7 (Friday)
Event: 3rd Annual Peer Fishin’ Festival
Location: Ocean Crest Pier, 1409 E Beach Dr.
Oak Island, NC 28465
# of Participants 400 Total (Wounded Warriors, Disabled Veterans, Their Friends & Caregivers, Volunteers, Sponsors and Supporters)
General Information:
• All Festivals are FREE to wounded warriors, disabled veterans & caregivers
• You may fish in as many Festivals as you like – first come / first serve
• All Festivals are “No-Alcohol Allowed”
• Caregivers & Service Animals are allowed on boats if needed
• Life Jackets must been worn while on the boats AT ALL TIMES – NO EXCEPTIONS
• NC Fishing License are waived for the Festivals for all Wounded Warriors & DVets
• Fishing rods & reels, tackle and bait provided
• Contact Info: Terry Snyder/Operation North State/336.406.3459/[email protected]
• Facebook: Operation North State Photo/Albums for more information
