It started early one Saturday morning in the Seniors Center Building at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Harbor. Guys normally in neat white, khaki or blue uniforms now dressed in jeans, t-shirts and some kind of brimmed cap were sharing coffee, bagels and spreads with seasoned fishermen eager to show their soon to be friends just how great sports fishing can be. Plan of the day? Fins for Freedom
The boat owning seasoned fishermen were taking out nearly 100 veterans or active-duty soldiers, sailors and Marines to say thanks so much for your service, thanks for protecting us. Now let us show you how to relax and meet new friends.
Today, Fins for Freedom consisted of 20 boat captains and owners, some in private vessels, some in their company’s charter boats, all wanting to help military men and women enjoy a day at sea, friendship, relaxation, and hopefully success at catching a striped bass.
It was all part of the Fins for Freedom Charity program launched by Mike Mavrinac, Jake Campi, Dave Thompson and Dan Brady all sports fishermen who recognize the benefits of a day on the water and the thrill of hooking a striped bass be it for the first or 50th time. Recognizing the relaxing and stress reducing benefits of a day on the open water and knowing that as boat owners or major corporation heads who could help active-duty military men and women, they pooled their efforts, came up with a program that provides for the mental health and well-being of the service members, and made it all official before the first hook went into the ocean.
Dan Brady took the concept to his employer Thomas J. Veth, CPA PC (US Navy) who supported the idea from the start. Veth’s office navigated the registration and application process with the State of New Jersey and the Internal Revenue Service to establish Fins for Freedom Inc. a New Jersey Non-Profit Organization with all donations being tax deductible and all the proceeds used to ensure a fun day for a lot of serving men and women.
Mike Mavrinac, another of the Fins for Freedom leaders and a sponsor of the program, is with Sport Drinking Apparel. He brought his boat and enthusiasm to the harbor to take some of the military members out, complete with bait, poles, and experience; Captain Dan Massa brought his Thin Blue Tide Charters to take a group, as did many private boat owners from the Atlantic Highlands Harbor and other local marinas.
The boat captains all met the night before the event to get filled in on all the details and get their assigned military fishermen for the next day’s outing. Most of these captains competitively fish against each other in tournaments throughout the season. There is NO information sharing during tournaments as the crews are fishing for a cash prize. This event was not a tournament. For this event to be a success, all captains were asked to check their egos at the door and to work together to help locate the fish, call in the other participating boats on a pre-determined “secret channel” to put fish on the lines of the service members, and… that’s exactly what they did!
The boat captains from Fins of Freedom first met with the soldiers and veterans the next morning, when all gathered for breakfast, a get together, and the military guests learning their specific vessel, some taking on two, others up to five military for the day. Each of the boats was fully equipped by the volunteers with poles, bait, crew members and box lunches, beverages and snacks for the day of fishing, all from the generous donations of sponsors and private individuals to Fins for Freedom Inc.
All agree to be back at the dock around 4 in the afternoon, an hour or so to change clothes, and be ready for a buffet dinner at The Shore Casino, complete with cocktail hour.
In between, the veterans, some experienced, some new to saltwater fishing, learned the tricks of fishing from the pros behind the wheel, learned how to bait as well as clean and filet their catch, put them on ice, and talk about the state regulations that let them fish for the day, but only permitted each to keep a single trophy of his prowess with a pole.
And at the end of the fishing day, everyone in the military had the thrill of catching at least one striper, some more than one and releasing it back to the sea. Over dinner at the Casino, there was talk about the largest and smallest that were kept, how they were going to grill or bake them after they got home, and of course, the one that got away.
The Directors of Fins for Freedom Inc. would like to thank all of our major sponsors, as well as the many local small businesses and Individuals whose support made this event a huge success! We are looking to build on the event for next year with a goal of doubling the amount of service members we can host.
Fins for Freedom
Fins for Freedom Inc. is accepting donations of either sponsorship of any part of the day for future events, or of vessels to take out the military. More information about this non-profit is available at their website finsforfreedom.org or by contacting them by email at Info@finsforfreedom.com.
More stories about the military … or our Veterans? View HERE
