Changing of the Guard

[YakMedic]

As some of you may already know or have noticed. I have been slowly stepping away from my position as Chapter Coordinator for SoCal Heroes on the Water. I’m now at a point in my life that I have decided it is time to leave HOW in the hands of some very capable volunteers. Effective immediately Mike Weist is the new Chapter Coordinator and I am certain that he is the right person to lead this chapter. With the amazing support of the SoCal HOW leadership team of Mike T., Jay, Bernie, Jackie, Ryan, and Josh, the SoCal Chapter will thrive.

Five years ago myself and three other people founded the Southern California Chapter. We got off to a fairly slow and rocky start in our first year hosting three events and serving a total of 40 participants. It took a few years and some repositioning of leadership at the local level to get to where we are today. This year we hosted 10 Vet events and served nearly 400 veterans and family members. With the help of the current volunteers the SoCal chapter has become a flagship chapter of the HOW organization.

I have put hundreds of hours and thousands of my own dollars into this chapter and I strongly believe in what HOW can do for the disabled vets. It is this belief that has kept me pushing forward including driving 300 miles round trip from my home in the mountains to San Diego for our monthly events. I have a rare opportunity to start an exciting new phase in my life and focus on my education. After five years of making HOW a priority in my life it is now time to focus on my family and myself.

I would like to personally thank every person who has came out and volunteered. OEX Mission Bay and Sunset Beach have been instrumental in the success of the chapter and they deserve special thanks. I have made many friends through HOW and have met some amazing people.


Thank You,
Grisso, Matt
Heroes on the Water
Former SoCal Chapter Coordinator

[MrPatrick]

You are the man Matt!
Your dedication has helped so many people, volunteers included. Good luck in the future and keep making us proud to call you FRIEND.

[momo fish]

Thanks Matt for your work with this organization.

Mike has been great and seeing all the work he puts in you left the organization in great hands.. Besides he doesn't fish anymore so he has plenty of time 😊


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[Iceman]

Good luck Matt you deserve it. I hope you and I get to fish together in the not too distant future!

Mike seems to have hold of the reins! Looking forward to helping out in the coming year!

[Geno Machino]

Thanks for getting the ball rolling here in Southern Cal! I'm new to the sport and to HOW as well, however I truly believe, donating my time to the HOW organization, I end up getting more out of it - than the vets.
Best Wishes and Success in all of your future ventures!

Geno

[Deamon]

Matt...

And also...no worries as I will kick Mike in the ass if ever needed...

Jim

[ful-rac]

Matt you have definitely served the Veterans well during your time with HOW. I'm glad to see you are moving forward in life and in your career. It was a tough couple of years you put in trying to make HOW better than it was...and you succeeded.

Im sure Mike is gonna do great taking over for you. He definitely has the passion, and is highly motivated to do the job. I know mike is the guy to take HOW to the next level.

Next year I will continue to support Mike and HOW as much as I can. I'm probably not gonna be able to go to every event but I will try...

[tacmik]

You will be missed. Don't forget we are always looking for a few good mentors. We will give you some training and tips. Hope to see you at Steve's tournament next sat if you can make it.

[FISH11]

Thank You for all your hard work and time you put into making SO CAL HOW the success it is now. It has been my privilege to be able to volunteer and help mentor at the HOW events. I will always remember your guidance and hope that some time you will be able to just visit. I know Mike and all the other guys will do a great job in the future. Good luck in you career path. Mark

[YakMedic]

Thanks for all the kind words guys. I'll still be around to help out as a volunteer occasionally. I look forward to showing up after the unload and leaving before the loading .

I'm going to try and make it to the Steve Green on Saturday so I hope to see some of you then.

[RookieYakker]

Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication!

[Kayak_Bernie]

Matt,

I really want to personally thank you for all that you have done for the vets and for this chapter! I have had experience with a couple of other HOW chapters and you have done an extraordinary job getting the Socal Chapter to where it is today!! I am proud to have worked with you and I look forward to seeing you at future events as a volunteer. Thank you so much, you are a great role model for all those involved both veterans and volunteers. I am happy that I will help preserve the legacy of the SoCal Chapter that you have worked so hard to develop. Hopefully me and the other guys can continue the upward trend and have an amazing year in 2016 and beyond!! Best of luck in your future endeavors and don't be a stranger!!

Cheers,
Bernie

[monstahfish]

Thanks for all you've done Matt. It's been a pleasure getting to know you and participating in HOW. I will continue to do so and wish you luck moving forward.