HARPERS FERRY, W.Va.— The National Park Service (NPS), the National Park Trust, Our Military Kids, Trout Unlimited, and KBP Foods partnered this past weekend to bring twelve children of military personnel and their families to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (NHP) for a day of fishing on the banks of the iconic Shenandoah River.  

The NPS awarded funds for the program to the National Park Trust, which partnered with Our Military Kids to provide military youth and their families with access to recreational fishing opportunities and resources to enjoy together.  

“We are thrilled to be working with strong community partners to bring the sport of fishing to our incredible Our Military Kids alumni and their military parents!” said Kara Dallman, retired U.S. Navy Veteran and Executive Director of Our Military Kids. “These families have served and sacrificed, and this day is about relaxing, enjoying, and soaking in the beauty of one of many national parks.” 

The program provided participants with fishing gear, a West Virginia fishing license, and the chance to practice the skills learned during a fishing technique demonstration by Trout Unlimited representatives. NPS rangers also provided a program on the role of the park in our nation’s history, and participants toured the park’s museums and exhibits. A hearty breakfast and lunch donated by KBP Foods fueled their full slate of activities.  

“National Park Trust is honored to partner with the National Park Service (NPS), Our Military Kids (OMK), Trout Unlimited, and KBP Foods to engage military children and families as we work to establish lifelong relationships between this community and parks, public lands, and waters. Teaching each family how to fish and then providing families with fishing equipment that they can take with them will allow participants to continue enjoying this sport and create more family memories in the great outdoors,” shared Grace Lee, National Park Trust executive director.

Celebrated with a visit from Buddy Bison, the military families received their Annual Interagency Military Pass, which provides entrance or access for one year to more than 2,000 federal recreational sites, including all National Park Service sites, for current members of the military and their dependents, veterans, and Gold Star families.  

“We welcome the opportunity to collaborate and connect our military families with opportunities to recreate in and enjoy their national park,” said Harpers Ferry NHP superintendent Tyrone Brandyburg. “This is one small way to thank them for their service.” 

This event at Harpers Ferry NHP marks the beginning of a year of collaborative programming among the partner organizations, including a series of five fishing events at national park sites across the country.  

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Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is one of more than 400 national parks cared for by the National Park Service. The 3,500 acre park preserves, protects and interprets the nationally significant history of Harpers Ferry, which includes the topics of natural heritage, industry, transportation, John Brown’s Raid, the Civil War and African American history. Located in West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland, the park features over 20 miles of hiking trails. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/hafe. 

National Park Trust is a non-profit dedicated to the protection of our national parks. The Park Trust preserves parks today and creates park stewards for tomorrow by acquiring the missing pieces of our national parks and building a pipeline of future caretakers of our public lands and waters by getting kids and families to parks. Since 1983, the Park Trust has completed 73 land projects in 31 states, one U.S. Territory, and Washington, D.C. Our national Buddy Bison Programs and Kids to Parks Day support 300 Title I schools annually in under-served communities. Find out more at parktrust.org. 

Trout Unlimited is a US non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of freshwater streams, rivers, and associated upland habitats for trout, salmon, other aquatic species, and people. It is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The organization began in 1959 in Michigan. Our mission is to bring together diverse interests to care for and recover rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. For more information, visit https://www.tu.org/. 

Our Military Kids recognizes the sacrifice of children of deployed National Guard, deployed Reserve, or post-9/11, combat-injured service members by offering extracurricular activity grants that build the child’s self-confidence, enhance family wellness, and strengthen a shared sense of community. Since 2004, Our Military Kids has funded more than 77,000 extracurricular activity scholarships worth $30 million to children and teens across the United States. For more information, please visit www.ourmilitarykids.org.