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General News: Disabled Veterans Take to the Water
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| Cong. John Hall and SKAT's Kris Seiz with some of the disabled veterans. |
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| A paddling lesson before setting off. |
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| The kayakers getting ready to take off. |
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| Paddling into the Hudson RIver. |
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| The Purple Heart shell and rowers. |
August 21, 2008
Twenty disabled military veterans and U.S. Congressman John Hall went kayaking this morning in the Hudson River thanks to an effort by the Storm King Adventure Tours (SKAT) in Cornwall-on-Hudson.
Kris Seiz, who is the director of SKAT, organized the free outing for the veterans to show appreciation for their service to the country.
Thirteen veterans came in a bus from the VA Hospital in Montrose, N..Y. and many of them had never been in a kayak before. The group from Helen Hayes Hospital, in Nyack, had experience in kayaks through the hospital’s adapted sports and recreation program.
Representative Hall, who sits on the House Veteran Affairs Committee, said he was happy to be with the veterans. “This is a chance for me to combine my love for the water with spending time with the veterans who are rehabilitating from their injuries,” Hall said shortly before stepping into a kayak and paddling out into the calm waters.
Before the group took to the water for a paddle, guides from SKAT who volunteered their time gave a few safety lessons and instructions about how to hold the paddle. Three men arrived in wheelchairs and they were helped into the kayaks. Matthew Castelluccio, who works at Helen Hayes Hospital and who is in a wheelchair himself, said they felt comfortable being on the water.
The group was joined by a rowing shell and two female rowers from the Newburgh Rowing Club. The skiff had been acquired with the backing of state senator Bill Larkin, and in recognition of his help, the shell was named the Purple Heart. Kris Seiz said she invited the Purple Heart to join the veterans outing because it seemed like a good match.
Comments:
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Bravo to Kris and the SKAT gang for the gift of such a wonderful outing.
And thanks to Congressman John Hall for not just showing up for a photo op but for having paddled hard for our disabled veterans from Day One of his term last year. As Chair of the House subcommittee on veterans' disability assistance, Congressman Hall wrote and championed the Disability Claims Modernization Act to help injured vets and their families by overhauling the claims process so the nearly million-claim backlog at the VA can be slashed. Congressman Hall's bill passed the House unanimously last month.
Vets or not, we all owe John Hall our thanks for walking the walk -- and paddling the kayak -- for our disabled veterans all across the country.
Jonathan Chase,
Cornwall on Hudson
posted by eastsider on 08/21/08 at 4:14 PM
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