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Your vote for my wife is appreciated

The_Chief

The_Chief

Accept no imitations!
VIP Member
Okay, I need your help. Actually, your vote - it's fast, easy and won't cost a thing.

The Darling Bride is a participant in Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing... a VA-approved therapy and 501(c)3 non-profit helping veterans with various disabilities. It's zero cost for participants: all materials, instruction and outings are provided. It's had an incredible effect on her quality of life! She's more outgoing now and engaged with veterans groups and civic events; our marriage has improved dramatically.

With their guidance, she has built her second fly rod... and this one's so awesome that it's been entered in their national rod-building competition. I'm just asking you to vote for her rod. That's it!

No login needed: you can vote anonymously:

https://www.judgify.me/public-voting/phwffflyrodbuilding2021

Scroll about halfway down and look for the entry "PHWFF Murfreesboro, TN - Intermediate - DONNA" and hit VOTE. It would do her a world of good to win this!

THANK YOU!
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Done as well. I would have liked to know a smidgen of her story as a vet with lasting problems but that's your personal stuff, I understand.

Great to hear this helps you both in many ways.

I also joined in because I was reminded my mother before her marriage worked for years at a small company in Cork manually creating fly's for fishermen (are fly's all artificial - I can't remember)
It was tough on her eyes.
That would have been in the late Forties and she married in '52.

Sorry to go a little OT.
 
Madd61 said:
I would have liked to know a smidgen of her story as a vet with lasting problems but that's your personal stuff, I understand.
Click to expand...

I won't go into extreme detail, but here's a little more:

Donna's participation with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (aka PHWFF) is based on her need for a calming, focused activity with other veterans with TBI & PTSD issues. I won't go into any more detail than that she needed something like this.

When PHWFF made a presentation at our town's DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Chapter, she became intrigued. With my encouragement and support, she began attending classes - I attended with her, since she was the only female participant at the time. She became more enthusiastic about the program and built her first year fly rod from materials provided by PHWFF. Despite 2020 being the Year of the WuFlu, she attended classes virtually with Microsoft Teams. When outings resumed, she went to every one she could... getting out into the river, learning to cast, and learning how to make flies.

BTW yes, all flies are artificial... except for the real ones LOL

This is her second year and second fly rod (which is beautiful compared with Year 1); she's come out of her shell and actively participates. She encourages other veterans - especially female veterans with military trauma - to join and participate. Her fellow participants respect and admire her: and none of them pretend they don't have trauma issues because everyone there has them. It's open, relaxed, structured and inviting. She loves them and they love her. She's more outgoing now, and actively participates in our local veterans organizations and community events.

The improvement in her life, her countenance, her attitudes, is nothing short of extraordinary. She's the quirky, loving, snarky, fun, compassionate woman I married all those years ago: I couldn't be more proud of her achievement and accomplishment. Whether or not she wins the competition, she's a better person for even having the confidence to enter her fly rod. Everyone comments on the changes in her... and they love the person I've always known was buried in there.

Any active duty servicemember or veteran with any sort of military trauma needs to seriously consider Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. They will find volunteers who are patient, understanding, and ready to listen and help. Especially listen. They have literally changed veterans from "ready to commit suicide" to "ready to take on the world". I'm happy to say that both our DAV Chapter and VFW Post support PHWFF financially each year. It's a remarkable non-profit.

I hope that answers your questions adequately.

:)
 
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The_Chief said:
The improvement in her life, her countenance, her attitudes, is nothing short of extraordinary. She's the quirky, loving, snarky, fun, compassionate woman I married all those years ago: I couldn't be more proud of her achievement and accomplishment. Whether or not she wins the competition, she's a better person for even having the confidence to enter her fly rod. Everyone comments on the changes in her... and they love the person I've always known was buried in there.

I hope that answers your questions adequately.

:)
Click to expand...

Yes. That's super - adequate. Thank you.

It must be amazing to see most of her old self again. Who would have known this could cause such a change (after a TBI)?
You describe the woman you've loved so long so well.

If this is fairly local to you, the scale of these terrible residual effects on Service personnel must still be massive nationally in the US.

I voted again on PC.
 
Thank you much! Project Healing Waters is nationwide... and they sponsor national outings for the top participants. Donna was selected for one such outing and would have been the first female participant to go - but it was cancelled due to... well, you know...

I really appreciate your response to my request - to all of you. Truly. Sincerely. I let her know I was pitching for her on Android Forums, of all places... and she was as thrilled as she was surprised by the support you're showing Mrs. Chief.

Thanks again to all of you for helping! Tell a friend! They can vote for her too... even if they use iPhones LOL
 
You guys are amazing - we had the request plastered all over social media and the number of votes from Android Forums has blown way past the number of votes cast from anyone, anywhere else! Thank you and let's keep it up... voting ends midnight Friday!

By the way: first place winner will receive a $600 Orvis gift card. The Darling Bride has her eye on a multi-thread guide-wrapping fly rod thingy... and that would do nicely!
 
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