GREENLEAF (NBC 26) — At a winery Sunday, patrons made donations to the Patriot Racing Project, a non-profit which aims to help veterans by teaching them to sail.
- Jack Gage founded the Patriot Racing Project three years ago
- See photos of him taking veterans on sailing trips, which he says helps promote healing
- Gage says all sailing excursions or races are free of charge for veterans
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
At a winery in Greenleaf Sunday, people came together to raise money for a different kind of charity ahead of Veterans Day. NBC 26 met the founder of the Patriot Racing Project. He told us how he hopes to make a difference.
A few years ago, Jack Gage decided to bring his love of sailing to his fellow veterans. That's how he started the Patriot Racing Project, a nonprofit which allows veterans to participate in sailing excursions or races for free.
"Our mission is to take veterans out in the sport of sailing to encourage the peer-supported mental health environment," Gage said. "So, it's like a peer support group while doing a team building sport and team building exercises."
A fundraiser at Winealot Wine Pub in Greenleaf on Sunday gave the community the opportunity to support Gage's organization. Miranda Demske, founder of Winealot Wine Pub, says this certainly isn't the first charity event her business has hosted.
But she wanted this one to be different.
"For Veterans Day we really wanted to feature a veteran non-profit," Demske said. "Veterans are very important to me, they're all over in my family and friends, my husband's family and friends."
Gage says he has had 15 to 20 veterans participate over the last couple of years.
"We've had a few folks come on board that definitely had a story to tell," Gage said. "Recently we had a gentleman on board, a Vietnam veteran who definitely had a story to tell ... He was with a collective of veterans, particularly ones of his age and of his time to hear his story out ... It just felt like it was a relieving experience for him."
Gage says the success of the program so far is not all his own. It's thanks to people like those who donated at the winery Sunday, and people who volunteer their time.
"It really shows that when you start something like this that the community can come together and really show that they care," Gage said.
He said veterans can bring a friend or family member to any patriot racing project event.
