By Frank Stanko • Daily News franks@wahpetondailynews.com Jun 25, 2021
The Red River Area Sportsmen’s Club and the Cass County Sportsmen’s Club have collaborated to create the 1st Annual Warriors on the Wing event.
A two-day pheasant hunt for disabled veterans, Warriors on the Wing will begin Saturday, Sept. 11. The event is expected to be held at Stiklestad Lodge, Fort Ransom, North Dakota, Daily News previously reported. Organizers say their goal is to offer Warriors on the Wing at no charge to local disabled veterans.
“To offer this event at no charge to our local disabled veterans, we need to raise roughly $5,800,” Abby Carlson said. “We are more than 50 percent to our goal. Every additional dollar brings us one step closer to supporting our veterans.”
Warriors on the Wing would not be possible without the generous support from local communities, Red River Area Sportsmen’s Club President Greg Gerou said.
“Any monetary donation is appreciated and will go directly to support this event for our veterans,” he said.
Checks in any amount can be sent to Red River Area Sportsmen’s Club, P.O. Box 1, Wahpeton, ND, 58074. Please write “Warriors on the Wing” in the memo space.
Warriors on the Wing organizers shared a planned event schedule.
“On the first day, the veterans will be getting to know one another, creating friendships and developing new support groups,” Carlson said. “We will be guiding them through the basics of pheasant hunting, including bird identification, bird cleaning, North Dakota laws and regulation, hunting dogs and hunter’s safety.”
Veterans will also be able to practice their rifle marksmanship on the long range and enjoy a 3-D archery range. Sunday, Sept. 12 will be spent in the field, hunting and putting to use information from the day prior.
“Our ultimate goal is to create a new foundation for outdoor sportsman ship and a network for support for our local veterans,” Gerou said. “We are all aware of the struggles of our veterans and soldiers. One of the goals is to offer a pathway for them to develop a passion for the outdoors and instill additional camaraderie among these valued members of our communities.”
Both the Red River Area Sportsmen’s Club and Cass County Sportsmen’s Club will start advertising for veterans and hunters in July.
Earlier this year, Carlson said she hopes Warriors on the Wing will be “an honorable event, something respectful and healing.”
The late SFC. Michelle Grecco, who lost her life to suicide in July 2020, was one of Carlson’s best friends, Daily News reported in March. At the time of her death, Grecco had just retired from the United States Army.
“Our goal was to get her involved in the outdoors, in hunting,” Carlson said previously. “Her passing brought me into this.”