2012, Memorial Day Past Commodores Richard Kondub and Pat Buzzeo of the Halloween Yacht Club wanted to do something for our Veterans. A fishing contest sounded like a good idea, a few veterans from the Halloween Yacht and their fellow veterans about ten anglers showed up and really had a great time. The next year, 2013 we needed to expand it to really try and make it larger and completive among veterans, we invited some veterans from the local veteran organizations in Stamford. The captains of individual boats, mostly from the Halloween Yacht Club took them out fishing for the morning, with a small lunch and presentation of trophies the event went even better with families attending the cookout after the event.
With conflicts going on in the world and American troops at war, a Stamford Vietnam veteran put us in contact with the Stamford Disabled Veterans Chapter 13, which has a program of giving gift cards and other items to veterans that were at the Walter Reed Hospital receiving treatment for their wounds and injuries “Operation Cards” we had asked if there was any way we could get our wounded here to go fishing if possible. The Growth of Hooks for Heroes expanded from 2 wounded veterans to over 40 seriously wounded disabled veterans attending the event each year and participants over 200.
Thanks to the Halloween Yacht Club who hosts and sponsors this event, we were able to expand the program in Honoring our Military and First Responders along with WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan veterans. This has been possible only with the support of the Stamford Community, and the volunteers of H4H making donations for everything needed to run this event. Over $125.000.00 was donated to Operation Gift cards and other veteran related projects.
100% of proceeds are donated to our wounded, injured and sick Warriors.
Hooks for Heroes CT Inc. is now a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization.