Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) hosted three, one-day shooting competition events at the Bandera Gun Club in Bandera, Texas on October 21, 22 and 23. Each day of shooting featured
45 different active-duty military members and disabled Veterans, for a total of nearly 125 participants, 7 of which were hosted by The Independence Fund.

“I really appreciate everything HAVA and The Independence Fund has done for me and this crew this weekend and overall,” said Army Veteran Curt Oswalt. “I just wanted to say thank you for all of this from this weekend. I had a great time with everyone, even before winning the SIG SAUER!”

The goal of each day was to give Veterans and their guests a chance to show their skills at five different shooting stages, including steel challenge, cowboy action, and sporting clays, as well as enjoy a patriotic day of appreciation for the military.

“HAVA is honored to host these fine warriors in Bandera for the weekend. Great food, music and the smell of gun powder made for a special time for all attending,” said Chris Fleming, event manager and firearms instructor for HAVA. “With the help of the finest companies in the shooting and outdoor industry, we were able to bring in more than 200 Veteran guests, friends, family members and volunteer staff to host an awesome range day to celebrate these men and women.”

The Independence Fund, a national non-profit for catastrophically wounded Veterans, has partnered with HAVA for other Veteran shooting events and competitions, and was invited for a second year in a row to bring 7 Veterans from throughout Texas for this year’s shooting competition.

“I’m glad that we have been able to partner with HAVA and their team a second year in a row for this event,” said Nick Armendariz, mobility program manager for The Independence Fund. “Spending a day on the range seems to bring about a sense of camaraderie and unity between these Veterans which can sometimes be lost after transitioning out of the military.”

Major sponsors for this event included SIG SAUER, Black Rifle Coffee and Sure Fire. For more information on HAVA or The Independence Fund, visit their websites at www.honoredveterans.org and www.independencefund.org

ABOUT HAVA:

HAVA is a 501(c)3 organization formed by companies in the shooting and outdoor industry with the purpose of raising awareness and further assisting disabled veterans with their healing process through guided hunts, shooting events and other outdoor sports activities. The sustaining sponsor companies are Smith & Wesson, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), SIG SAUER, Academi, Arnold Defense, Armada Ammunition, Crimson Trace, FMG Publications, GLOCK, Hornady, Leapers/UTG, Leupold & Stevens, Mossberg, National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), Operation Hat Trick, RSR Group, Ruger, Savage, Surefire, Taurus, Vista Outdoor/Federal, XS Sights, and Yamaha Outdoors among numerous contributing companies. To learn more about HAVA, go to: http://www.honoredveterans.org

ABOUT THE INDEPENDENCE FUND:

Founded in 2007, The Independence Fund (501c3) is committed to empowering our nation’s catastrophically wounded, injured, or ill Veterans to overcome physical, mental, and emotional wounds incurred in the line of duty. The Independence Fund is dedicated to improving the lives of Veterans and their families by providing tangible impact. Through the Fund’s Mobility, Caregiver, Adaptive Sports, Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Family, and Crisis Relief programs, The Independence Fund strives to bridge the gap of unmet needs for Veterans and their caregivers. The Independence Fund believes in fairness and equality for all veterans and families irrespective of race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation, and will continue to uphold these American values.