For a small town, Port O’Connor has a really big heart. Once again we shared that warmth and love with the Defenders of Freedom, the soldiers, heroes and families participating in the eighth annual Warriors Weekend. Reportedly over 800 warriors and their family members, more than 500 boats with captains and deckhands, and at least 500 volunteers sculpted sand, baited hooks, cooked, housed, cleaned fish, made desserts, carried, toted, massaged, bused, carted, fed, entertained, encouraged, served, photographed, hugged, greeted and loved our heroes. A small service for those men and women who put their very lives on the line for our freedom; and yet the undertaking of this event is daunting at best.

The amazing board and leaders who raise funds, plan and calculate the logistics and details deserve recognition and gratitude for all they do. The professionals who fly, drive, escort and run central command are underpaid, overextended and warrant appreciation and respect for their hard work. Still, I think those who live here and participate play a vital role in this weekend functioning. Full guest houses, crazy schedules, traffic jams and lots of new faces are the norm for this weekend. Still, those volunteers receive as much as they give. Warriors Weekend, whether their first or their eighth brings a joy and a blessing unique unto itself. Here are a few personal POV’s from those who found themselves enriched by being a part.

POV#1-
Hometown guy Matt Medford has been fishing the waters of POC since he was 18 months old. As soon as he could hold up a rod, his dad Marty taught him to fish. He has been a full time guide in POC since 2007. His family has provided food and bait, and fed sandcastle crews every year; but this year the fishing guide went fishing with some of our warriors. He reports a medium catch for that Saturday, not as great as some of his guide trips. They landed whiting, sheepshead, reds, hardhead, ladyfish and drum. They were mostly small, but the fun was big Matt said.   Many of the visiting soldiers were just about Matt’s age.  It sure makes you think he states. These solders leave their homes and families willingly to protect us and our great country. Matt was humbled by the chance to fish with them and assures me he would count it a privilege to take them fishing again next year.

POV #2
Jerry Ginzer of Ganado, Texas likes POC, but his usual fishing grounds are near Olivia. A welder by profession, fishing is just his hobby. He has captained a boat of fishing warriors the last two years and said his life is better for having the chance to do so.  Jerry is a Vietnam Veteran himself, and a friend invited him to help with Warriors Weekend fishing to meet some young vets serving now. Jerry fished with a young soldier named Chris from Colorado. Jerry says they caught some great fish. More importantly, Jerry says they had a ball just being out there, and he really enjoyed meeting Chris. It is just a special time, and such a little thing to do for someone who does so much. Jerry says it is much different than his war. These guys need our caring. Chris hesitantly left a wife and young son behind to attend the weekend, but found the whole experience to be a real gift of encouragement and support from others. Jerry counts himself fortunate to be part and is counting on being a part next year.

POV#3
Skip Ellis has a unique understanding of Iraqi and Afghanistan servicemen and women. Skip worked as a truck driver for a large private contract corporation in Iraq for just over two years. He returned home in 2005 a changed man having seen how our soldiers live, the hardships and challenges they face up close and personally. He was shot at, had locals attempt to rob him and his truck and was near more than one explosion. He also saw those young military service people sacrifice, put in danger and at extreme risk. He witnessed how they lived, worked and served.  Skip states it is a bad setting for our soldiers and most people really do not realize it. It took some time for him to restore and recuperate from the experience.

As soon as he heard about the Warriors Weekend, he knew he wanted and needed to be a part. This is his eighth year to share his love of fishing by coordinating the night fishing. Baiting hooks or advising on where to cast, for Skip it is all a labor of love. It has helped him feel better and move forward, and his girlfriend is a volunteer too. Skip says they will be involved as long as those soldiers keep coming. Some injured soldiers needed the night fishing to limit their sun exposure. Others just wanted one more chance to feel the tug on their line. Either way, Skip and a crew of many had lots of rods and reels, caught quite a few fish, and had bunches of happy soldiers casting and catching, laughing and sharing out at The Sanctuary from just after sunset to almost midnight. One volunteer brought his guitar and shared music, another had water and snacks, and still another was helping children and families of soldiers with the ins and outs of bank fishing. Under starlit skies, ‘fish-on’ ringing out on the night air and lots of smiles all around made it hard to tell who was happier to be there. Skip says you can be sure he will be ready again next year. He loves how it feels when he sees those warriors having such a great time.

POV #4
Erny and Joane McDonough co pastor at Fisherman’s Chapel, an interdenominational church in POC. They have many projects and lots of jobs in our community, but none they find as fun and fulfilling as stuffing breakfast burritos for the many heroes of Warriors Weekend. What is not really seen by others is all the preparation and planning it takes for a small church to make a success of such an undertaking. They must raise funds to pay for supplies, recruit labor, order supplies and equipment, troubleshoot and then actually cook and assemble the breakfast before 7:00 AM Saturday morning. Two hundred dozen eggs, 2700 tortillas, cheese by the pound, smoked sausage by the panful, cases of juice and milk and fruit ordered in advance are just the beginning of the project. Missing apples from the grocery delivery called for some heavy hitter problem solving by John and Jeff at SpeedyStop, but that got done. Eggs require cracking early, but Carol made that a party. Pans of eggs need stirring while most are still sleeping, but brothers Kenneth and Dennis and others were there plenty early. So, with smiles and singing and patience galore; Erny and Joane accomplished the task, and you can count on them to be not only willing but happy, ready and able to ‘egg on’ the breakfast crew again next year.

POV #5
Jim and Linda Butler are POCites through and through. Linda works at Clarks Inn and Jim is retired. For the last three years they have worked together to coordinate the golf cart brigade that serves as ground transportation on Warriors Weekend. Originally, the Calhoun County Golf Cart Association volunteered to cart soldiers around. Many of those have moved on to other assignments and jobs, but Jim and Linda love the job of driving soldiers, their families, volunteers, boat captains and crew and others to and from events and locations throughout POC. More than 10 golf carts, a mule and a van driven by local volunteers drove pretty much wherever they were needed. Linda drove two very sunburned soldiers to SpeedyStop for some much needed aloe gel, drove a medical volunteer to gather more supplies needed to deal with scrapes and cuts of the day, and ran around town all day delivering soldiers and their families to motels, condos, fishing piers, beaches and shopping, massages and activities, even to dinner at the community center. Those volunteers started at 6 AM and many had passengers until dark. One of Linda’s pickups was a very frustrated fishing soldier shut out on this day of fishing. He boarded her mule grumbling and down, but after sharing a ride and her heart, Linda dropped him off laughing and claiming he would give fishing and POC a try again. The volunteer drivers said this was a great way to really connect to our guests. They got to really talk with them a few at a time. When asked why he volunteers, Jim said he loves to see how happy it makes the soldiers. They are already planning an even bigger brigade of carts and drivers for next year.

The Seventh Annual Texas 200 was held on June 9 – 13, 2014. The five day sailing trip began in Port Mansfield and ended at Magnolia Beach with a Shrimp Boil. There were sixty-two boats which participated of which forty-nine made it to the finish. It was a record setting year in terms of participants. The event usually averages thirty-five to forty boats.

“The sailors test themselves and gain knowledge which you can’t get any other way,” said Chuck Pierce who is on the Board of Directors. “The purpose of the Texas 200 is to build self-sufficiency and self reliance. The participants gain a degree of self confidence.”

The route changes annually; however every third year the original route from Port Mansfield to Magnolia Beach is sailed which helps to add continuity to the event. The Texas 200 is hosted in June because of weather. The wind plays a huge factor into the challenge.

Indeed, the first day of sailing there were thirty to thirty-five knot winds but the true challenge was past Army Hole and Port O’Connor when the sailors experienced a strong headwind from the east.

“It’s great to get coverage about the Texas 200 to show that our county is not only a fishing community but that there are a vast variety of activities which we have to offer,” said local sailor, Jack LaBarge. This is Jack’s fourth time to participate.

There are a variety of boats that are entered from 8’ puddle ducks to 30’ schooners. This year however a very special fleet of boats were sailed. Fourteen puddle ducks united as the ‘Texas 200 Ducks’ whose mission was to benefit the Livestrong Foundation.

Leading the pack was Chuck Pierce on the ECDuck. The project has very special meaning as Chuck is a cancer survivor along with dad, sister and wife. “The puddle duck has a line down the center,” he explained. “One side has ‘In Memory of’ and the other ‘In honor of.’ Everywhere I go, people sign the boat — to date there are over 300 names on the ECDuck.”

He was also happy to report that all fourteen puddle ducks crossed the finish line and raised over $12,000 for the Livestrong Foundation.

The Texas 200 would like to thank Shiner Bock, a continued sponsor and official beer of the Texas 200, who provided beer and Bubba’s Cajun Seafood which is located in Seadrift and provided the shrimp for the boil. Find out more at www.texas200.com, to donate to the Texas 200 Ducks visit http://laf.livestrong.org/site/TR?team_id=11351&fr_id=1760&pg=team.

Jack LaBarge - The Texas 200

Annual Barbecue Fund Raiser July 5

July is right around the corner. That means it is once again time for our annual fundraiser. We have been working hard putting this event together. As some of you know, there are some changes to it this year. The biggest change is the location. We will be having our fundraiser at the POC Community Center Pavilion instead of the fire station. This is due mostly to the larger turnout of supporters we have begun to have (thank y’all for that!!). This way there will be more room to park and more seating (in a cooler area). This fundraiser will take place July 5th from 11-2. We plan to have live music, a silent auction, and the new POCVFD T-Shirts will be for sale. There will be items in the auction such as fishing trips with some of our great local guides, locally done artwork, fishing gear, gift baskets from local stores, gift cards, and much more!

There are a few other activities we are trying to get finalized also. If you are interested in donating an item for our fundraiser, we will be more than happy to assist with that. You can message us on Facebook at POCVFD. Along with our BBQ fundraiser, there will also be a 4 mile run and a 2 mile walk taking place that morning at The Sanctuary sponsored by Firemans 4 Beer. Proceeds from that also go to the POC fire department. If you are interested in signing up for that event you can find the link through active.com, the fire department’s Facebook page, or you can register at the fire station Friday, July 4th.

We would also like to announce that we will be having our first Wild Game Supper and Raffle taking place in September. This event is sponsored by Port O’ Connor Rod &Gun. This is a great opportunity for all you hunters and gun enthusiasts to support the POCVFD. There are over 20 guns to be raffled away that night. Tickets are available from members of the POCVFD and at Port O Connor Rod & Gun. Tickets are limited so get yours before they’re gone!

We are excited about both of our upcoming fundraisers and hope to see everyone out there. Thank you to all who have shown their support to this department.