- April 17, 2024
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Veterans in Flagler County will now have a new ride to their medical appointments, thanks to a donation of $12,000 from the Flagler Sportfishing Club to the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 86 of Palm Coast.
The check was presented to the DAV during a Sportfishing Club meeting on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 6, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8696.
Ernie Morris, of the DAV, said he was "elated" to receive the donation. The money came from donations from sponsors and participants of the 23rd-annual Spring Classic fishing tournament in April.
The tournament, led by co-directors Dana Syens and Rita Waddell, had 128 participants, up from 110 last year — with 90 boats and one kayak.
"We couldn't believe it," Morris said. "The ladies had set a goal of $10,000 this year. Last year, it was $7,000 they donated, and we were extremely appreciative of that. This year, they set a goal of $10,000 and they've exceeded that. So, we're ecstatic."
Syens said she was happy to make the DAV the tournament beneficiary for the second year in the row, as the organization relies on community support to help disabled veterans in Flagler County.
"We've done other things in the past, but I think the DAV is the most appreciative and deserving of it," she said. "They've also helped us a lot. Some of their veterans can hardly walk, but there were there putting up tents and tables and everything else."
About half of the tournament participants were members of the sportfishing club. And many club members and DAV members also volunteered their time and effort to make the tournament a success.
Syens said there are about 340 members in the fishing club, 1/3 of whom are veterans.
The DAV is located at 27 Florida Park Drive N. Call 439-2122 for assistance and services. For more information about the sportfishing club, visit https://flaglersportfishing.com.
