A day on the lake fishing for the big ones needs a lot of parts to pull it off — fishermen, tackle, fishing holes and boats. Especially boats.
And that’s where there’s a need for a Chatham County event coming up in early May at Jordan Lake that benefits wounded and disabled military vets.
Operation North State (ONS) is an entirely volunteer organization dedicated to helping wounded and disabled veterans overcome their challenges and rejoin society — full disclosure, I volunteer with the organization.
On Thursday, May 2, ONS will host a day-long fishing festival for 50 vets on Jordan Lake, but only 27 host boats are confirmed so far and they need more.
“We’re behind where we need to be for these folks,” says ONS founder Terry Snyder, a retired Winson-Salem businessman. “We’re getting into the homestretch.”
The day is free to the wounded warriors, with no registration fee for host boaters. Fishing licenses are waived for the day and all needed equipment — life vests, tackle, bait and day-long snacks — are provided by ONS. At the end of the day, a dinner sponsored by area churches and organizations, is held at nearby Mt. Carmel Baptist Church.
The event kicks off at the Farrington Point boat ramp at 6:15 a.m. and runs through the day, rain or shine.
ONS was created about 15 years ago when Snyder and some friends were lamenting how little is done for America’s wounded. “As we sat around talking,” he told me. “It was like a light bulb came on and we said why don’t we do something?”
From that came a series of nine fishing festivals across the state, a day on a head boat from Morehead City, golf outings and trips to professional ball games in the state.
ONS also provides Christmas packages and other gifts to active duty deployed troops. “We couldn’t do all this without dedicated volunteers,” Snyder says. “There’s no overhead, no salaries, no nothing. About all we spend money on may be a roll of stamps.”
Visit the organization’s Facebook page for more information, and, if you have a boat you can contribute to the effort, email mailbox@operationnorthstate.com. You can also call Terry Snyder directly at 336-764-5967.
“Please help us get this done for these folks,” Snyder pleaded. “Many of whom still struggle with the effects of what they saw and did in the military.”