The second annual “Veterans Day at the TFFC” event will be held on November 12 and offers free admission to veterans and their family members.
Designed to honor veterans, the event was first organized in 2021, according to a press release from the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC). The initiative was launched by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Fisheries Technician, Nicholas Griffin, a former Marine.
Griffin shared in the press release that the day is meant to connect with veterans and get them outside.
“The mission of the event is simple — get veterans outdoors,” he said. “It can be tough for veterans transitioning back into civilian life. For me personally, no matter what was going on in my life and all the hustle and bustle we encounter, being outdoors always put me at ease. There are some great organizations out there that are dedicated to helping make this happen and we have invited them out to the TFFC to get as many veterans in the outdoors as we can.”
The TFFC facility where the event will be held is in Athens and houses 300,000 gallons of water in the visitor center. There is also a fish hatchery, the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, and the Texas Game Warden Museum.
During “Veterans Day at the TFFC,” attendees will be able to meet with Major League Fishing anglers, receive fly casting and fly-tying instruction, enter to win guided fishing trips, and more. The instruction for fly casting/fly-tying is a new addition to this year’s celebration.
The Major League anglers who will be present this year, according to the press release, include Kelly Jordon, Gary Klein, Jeff Sprague, and Alton Jones, Sr.
Jordon shared his excitement for the event and the opportunity it provides to spend the day with veterans.
“It’s so special to me to get to spend time with our nation’s veterans and their families on Veteran’s Day. I get to fish for a living thanks to their service and it’s my privilege to get to spend time with them and their families and talk about fishing at the Fisheries Center,” Jordon said.
The event will also help attendees learn about other organizations with the mission of supporting veterans through outdoor activities. A few of these are Patriot Anglers, The Fallen Outdoors, Project Healing Waters, Headwaters for Heroes, and Cover 6 Outdoors, the press release shares.
The “Patriots 4 Patriots” drawing arranged by Pond King Inc. will see the Patriot, a two-man pontoon boat, given away to the winner. Other prizes will be up for grabs, as well as merchandise for purchase.
Tom Lang, the TFFC director, said in the press release that he was thankful for the opportunity to share the resources offered through the TFFC.
“We are grateful for the service of our nation’s veterans and thankful that we, along with Mr. Klein, Mr. Jordon, Mr. Sprague, and Mr. Jones, Sr. are able to spend the day sharing all that TFFC has to offer with them and their families,” Lang shared.
The event is scheduled for November 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The TFFC Athens is located at 5550 FM 2495.
