Honored American Veterans Afield celebrated its 10th anniversary during a National Family Day event, which was held at the San Antonio, TX, Police Academy on Oct. 21. The non-profit organization was founded by members of the firearm industry in an effort to aid disabled soldiers as they transitioned back to their lives in the U.S., and increase their hope for the future by reconnecting them with their love of the American traditions of shooting and hunting.
“A decade of service to disabled veterans who deserve the support of our industry is the HAVA legacy, and our 20 sustaining sponsors and dozens of other contributing companies can be proud of their support of this worthy cause,” said HAVA Chairman Tom Taylor. “The shooting sports industry has created a compassionate and efficient standard for other veteran’s charities to measure against, and we are proud to be the industry’s advocate for strong veteran service. We are growing at a sustainable rate by measuring our performance to a strict standard, and look forward to our second decade with a strong commitment to those who served and sacrificed when their country called.”
This year’s event was attended by more than 400 disabled veterans and their families, who were treated to a full day of shooting, youth events, good food, gifts and prizes on the 700-acre law enforcement training facility. The day also featured one-on-one shooting instruction from HAVA’s Learn To Shoot Again staff, which specializes in teaching severely injured veterans to overcome their disabilities. Exhibitions by professional shooters Max Michel and Micah McMillan also took place.
In 2008, HAVA began with six firearm-industry employees hosting a hunt for four vets. Today, more than 8,200 disabled veterans and their families have attended at least one of its events, which have taken place in 25 different states and continue attract the support of some of the biggest names in the business today.
