Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay Funds 25 Disabled Veterans on Half Moon Bay Fishing Trip with Purple Heart Anglers

. 25 veterans from around northern and central California huddled in front of Ketch Joanne’s at Princeton Harbor in Half Moon Bay Saturday September 24th, warmed by fresh coffee and donuts and greeted by Purple Heart Anglers and Rotary Club volunteers. Dawn broke on a gorgeous day as 25 anglers boarded the HuliCat for a day of fishing, followed by lunch at the American Legion Post 474.

This event was paid for by funds raised at the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay’s annual Magic of the Coastside. Purple Heart Anglers founder Randy Houston commented, “Without the Rotary Club, we would not have been able to take these deserving veterans out.”

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 1,700 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 0% service connected disability rating. Disabilities can range from psychological to physical.

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

The Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay is one of 34,000 clubs around the world. Rotary International’s signature cause is the eradication of polio, and other worldwide and local health related causes are central to the organization. Locally, the club’s signature cause this year is supporting disabled veterans through Purple Heart Anglers. 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 Image Chairperson, at mcorcoranhmb@gmail.com or 650-218-0436.