Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay and Purple Heart Anglers Team to Sponsor Fishing Trip for Veterans

The 5th Annual Magic of the Coastside Fundraiser Event will be held at the IDES Hall on April 2nd. The major donation from the Club based on event proceeds will underwrite a day of fishing, fun, and food out of Princeton Harbor for 30 local disabled veterans through Purple Heart Anglers.

Purple Heart Anglers was founded and led by Randy Houston, a longtime Coastside resident who felt compelled to support our nation’s veterans – not just those wounded in combat, but any veterans who have become disabled due to their service to our country. Since 2009, Purple Heart Anglers has served almost 1,500 veterans following a simple model of taking veterans out on fishing and hunting excursions followed by food, companionship, and relaxation. Boats, vehicles, equipment, food and manpower are all taken care of by volunteers. Eligible veterans need to have a minimum of 1% disability rating. Disabilities can range from psychological to physical.

Randy’s brother was a veteran who served in Vietnam and who died in 2011, and supporting the veterans’ community is a personal issue. He believes in keeping it simple, yet know Purple Heart Angler outings have a huge impact in emotional, physical and psychological healing. “We’re not therapists,” Randy said. “We fish, we hunt, we eat.”

Outings have ranged from ½ day fishing excursions to multi-day Alaska fishing trips and Colorado elk hunting. Locally, veterans have gone out with Tom Mattusch on Huli Cat and with Tigerfish Sport Fishing and enjoyed lunches at the American Legion Post 474 in Princeton.

The Purple Heart Anglers relies solely on donations and volunteers to provide services.

The Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay is one of 34,000 clubs around the world and is proud to be a supporter of the Purple Heart Anglers. Rotary International’s signature cause is the eradication of polio, and the end is in sight with just two countries in the world with endemic cases. The Half Moon Bay Club meets each Thursday for lunch at the Portuguese Center at 724 Kelly Street in downtown Half Moon Bay. http://www.rotaryofhalfmoonbay.com/

Contact Mary Corcoran, Public Relations Chairperson, at mcorcoranhmb@gmail.com or 650-218-0436.

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