Labor Day was a joyous climax for Camp Patriot. Guest veterans had just finished a glorious week-end relaxing with good food and fishing while staying at Blackburn's beautiful log lodge. Before leaving, Camp Patriot included them in the long anticipated drawing of our year long raffle. Four of the veterans were invited to take turns drawing our raffle winners from the big ticket tumbler – on loan from our Libby Chamber of Commerce.
Veterans Kara Sparks, Danita Dahl, James Dahl, Cliff Taylor, and Shaun Rapp with boating hosts Rev. Trent and Peggy Oelberg at the Kootenai River
MEET OUR RAFFLE WINNERS:
Veteran Danita Dahl from Des Moines WA, drew the #1 winner: The Pioneer Log Home Package: Ticket 2640 - belonging to Lynn C Pekarek of Madera CA. Lynn and his wife Diane are farmers in central California and are in the midst of their walnut harvest. He learned about Camp Patriot at the Pioneer Log Homes booth at the Tulare Farm Show, and thought it was a worthy cause to support.
Veteran Cliff Taylor from Vancouver WA, drew our #2 winner: The Jim Shockey white tail deer hunt: Ticket 2696 - belonging to Patrick S Woodward of Colville WA. Interestingly, Mr Woodward is a retired iron worker who has a place up at Warland near Lake Koocanusa. He bought his ticket from Camp Patriot at the Libby rodeo. He is an enthusiastic supporter of our military.
Veteran Shaun Rapp of Spokane WA drew the #3 winner: The R & K Hunting Co, antelope bow hunt: Ticket 921 - belonging to Richard Bushong of Kearneysville WV.Mr Bushong works for Washington Gas in WV and is an avid rifle hunter.
Veteran James Dahl, Danita's husband, also of Des Moines WA, drew our #4 winner: The Sportsman's Warehouse canoe package: Ticket 1569 - belonging to Eric E and Jean Hastings of Bozeman MT. The Hastings will put the canoe to good use as they also care for veterans thru their operation called "Warriors & Quiet Waters." You can learn more about them at their website: www.warriorsandquietwaters.org
Anticipation radiates from our faces as Veteran James Dahl makes the final drawing, and Camp Patriot board members, Bill Clark and founder, Micah Clark stand by for the results.
Camp Patriot founder, Micah Clark, reports the raffle sold 2,740 tickets nationwide, bringing in $54,800. This climax represents 4 years of vision, legal development, directional planning, seeking heartfelt supporters, and untold hours of just plain hard work by numerous volunteers as well as the board. There were yard sales, raffles, auctions, dinner cruises, tail-gate parties, and numerous in-kind contributions not only for fundraising, but also for providing the Veteran adventures of fishing, hunting and mountain climbing excursions.
Now the real adventure begins. As news of Camp Patriot's efforts spread, enthusiasm is building and resources are accumulating to establish our own facilities and allow increase of the number of veterans we are able to serve.
Thank you to Libby MT and the support Camp Patriot has received here. We pray that God will bless this community and Camp Patriot's vision of serving disabled American Veterans.
