Operation Phoenix Veteran Voyage - Rally and Paddle Board Raffle

Josh Collins came to BOTE  a few months ago looking for a SUP sponsor to help him on his journey in paddling from Texas to New York City starting in  March 2016 (which would go in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest paddle.) Having spent many years in the military, he endured multiple traumatic brain injuries and PTSD and once he returned home, he was not the same. The military prescribed him meds to help with his injuries, but when those were not working, he resorted to alcohol. This not only tore his family apart, but essentially his whole life apart. If it were not for the help of the Task Force Dagger Foundation who supplied him with fill gap emergency funding to get him into a hospital and rehabilitation, he probably would have lost everything.

In an effort to raise awareness for TBI, PTSD, and how the TFDF can help, Josh will be making rally stops at 12 cities along his journey where he will be raffling off our limited edition boards that we have made for him and bringing hundreds of people out to paddle with him and start a movement. These stops have already been set up and are in motion.

Josh will be holding a rally stop in Fort Walton Beach on April 2^nd at Helen Back Café on Okaloosa Island from 11:30pm-2pm to have a rally with veterans, soldiers, and other people from the area to help raise awareness for his cause.

Josh has already had coverage from local news sources in Chicago and  Tampa, which you can view here: http://www.illinoishomepage.net/news/local-news/veteran-voyage

http://www.kristv.com/story/31385559/army-vet-plans-to-paddle-board-35-hundred-miles-for-ptsd