Marks Farms Hosts Wounded Veterans for Week Long Hunting Retreat

Marks Farms Hosts Wounded Veterans for Week Long Hunting Retreat
By: Nick Altmire 10/28/16 11:00am

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A group of veterans have been enjoying life in Lewis County all

week, as part of a hunting retreat through the

program.

According to their website, Operation Second Chance volunteers are "patriotic

citizens committed to serving our wounded, injured and ill combat veterans. We

support Veterans and their families by building relationships and identifying and

supporting immediate needs and interests. We are dedicated to promoting

public awareness of the many sacrifices made by our Armed Forces."

Locally, Chris Peck, a partner at

, just outside the Village of

Lowville on Route 12, became involved in the program to offer hunting retreats

twice a year to wounded veterans.

"I'm a Marine Corps. veteran and my father is a Vietnam veteran. We were

looking for a way to give back to other veterans and this is a great way to do

that," Mr. Peck said.

He started working with a Florida chapter of Operation Second Chance and

held the first hunting retreat this past Spring. Plans are to host two yearly

retreats, one in the Spring and one each Fall.

This week, a group of four amputee veterans has been here in Lewis County,

staying at a cabin thats use was donated by the Gingrich family in Lowville. A

garage at Marks Farm was transformed into a "hangout" area where the

veterans can socialize and relax, Mr. Peck told us. A free meal, catered and

donated by Shaun Stanford, was one of many activities planned for the

veterans throughout the week.

The group includes an amputee, two double amputees and a triple amputee.

Each lives outside of the area, representing Colorado, Virginia, Florida and

Maine. Each morning the group starts with a water fowl hunt, with an evening

deer hunt or additional water fowl hunting each day as well. Local guides have

donated their time to take the veterans out, and all of the property at Marks

Farms is available for their hunting. The veterans arrived Sunday and Monday,

with the retreat concluding October 30th.