Bravo Zulu Outdoors earlier this month hosted 13 veterans and their families for a relaxing weekend at Patriot Point.
The group enjoyed time on the water, bonding with family, and fantastic food. It was a peaceful weekend with beautiful weather. Patriot Point property manager Tim Mitchell took several guests crabbing, while others kayaked, fished, and generally enjoyed themselves. The high tides made for a truly memorable event that will not soon be forgotten.
It was a busy weekend at Patriot Point as Bravo Zulu Outdoors hosted a group of veterans and retired fire fighters who – in concert with the Home Builders Care Foundation and a grant from 3M — led the rebuilding of our dock, which would have been a $15,000 retail cost!
Special thanks to our partners at the HBCF, which is the nonprofit arm of the Maryland Building Industry Association!
Builders First Source, an MBIA member that is one of the nation’s largest suppliers of structural building products, supplies and services, donated $2,000 through the HBCF for materials. HBCF donated more than $1,000 for the balance of the framing lumber from Builders First Source and coordinated the material delivery. Thanks also to Toby Vance, general manager of Builders First Source, Atlantic Group.
“I feel safe to speak for everyone, when I say that Patriot Point has become a home away from home for all of our group,” Bravo Zulu Outdoors Executive Director Karl Schwartz said. “The opportunity to help pay back some for Patriot Point has provided to us is all we need. We look forward to the next chance to give back when we are out there.”
Among the Bravo Zulu Outdoors group were Joe Akaki, Kimmy McDermott, Randy Nieves, Ralph Perpignan, Bill Schulze, Tammie Pasterak, Keith Bullock, Matt Bullock and Tim Jackson. “I would also like to thank Millie Smith, Tammie Pasterak, Martha Gruica and Bill Schulze for feeding everyone and their cost and sweat equity,” Schwartz said.
“We had two volunteers that showed up early to help [Patriot Point property manager Tim Mitchell] and [volunteer] Mike [Mattingly] work on the pier,” Schwartz said. “Most of the group except for one had been with us to Patriot Point before, even if it had been a few years. … On Saturday, the group split time on working on a set of cornhole boards for us to raffle off as a fundraiser, a large group worked on the pier and some of us relaxed or explored the grounds. Working projects that give back to Patriot Point is something we were looking forward to. It is important to many of our recovering vets, to give back and be of service. It gives them a sense of purpose that they have lost since leaving the military. Our recent visits to Patriot Point … have allowed our folks to keep up the bonds we have formed over the years and gives everyone a weekend away from our normal pace of life.”
Bravo Zulu Outdoors hosted a large group of 28 people at Patriot Point over the Presidents Day weekend.
The group had a great time at the five-stand skeet shooting and worked with volunteer Mike Mattingly to build cornhole board. Three guests took home their own cornhole set.
Mattingly said that he learned about Patriot Point in an article in the Annapolis Capital and was motivated to volunteer. He previously had built cornhole sets with special needs students, where he saw the activity help bring people out of the shells and foster a sense of community.
“And the same thing happened at Patriot Point,” said Mattingly, who served in the Air Force and is a retired firefighter. “These veterans and their families, they all got into it and were enthused. Taking a flat piece of wood, creating a design and making something they are going to enjoy for years.”
“A couple of the guys and families got hooked on building them,” Schwartz said. “It was relaxing and therapeutic to really focus on something. That was great and a neat thing to do.”
After completing the cornhole boards, several guests set up shop in the garage to stay out of the elements and enjoy a few games of cornhole.
