FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 20, 2022

Washington, D.C. [September 20, 2022] – The National Park Trust, National Park Service (NPS), Our Military Kids, and Trout Unlimited partnered this past weekend to bring military personnel and their families to Mississippi National River & Recreation Area for a day of fishing on the banks of the iconic Mississippi River.  

The NPS awarded funds to the National Park Trust, which is partnering with Our Military Kids to provide National Guard and Reserve service members and their families with access to recreational fishing opportunities in national park sites across the country. With the help of Trout Unlimited representatives, families are learning how to fish, getting time to put their new skills into action, and then they go home with their own fishing gear so they can come back and fish again.

“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!” “These families have served and sacrificed, and this day is about relaxing, enjoying, and soaking in the beauty of one of many national parks.”

KARA DALLMAN, RETIRED U.S. NAVY VETERAN AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OUR MILITARY KIDS

“This event presented the perfect outdoor recreational opportunity for Trout Unlimited’s Service Partnership Program to show our gratitude to those who give selflessly for the nation.”

CHUCK VAN ZEE, A VOLUNTEER FOR TROUT UNLIMITED

As part of this event, participating military families were presented with 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.

“The Mississippi River provides incredible fishing opportunities right in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. We are excited to introduce military families to fishing on the Mississippi River. The river is a place where military families can easily come back to and fish whenever they like. This is one small way to thank them for their service.”

TUCKER BLYTHE, MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL RIVER AND RECREATION AREA SUPERINTENDENT

“National Park Trust is honored to partner with the National Park Service, Our Military Kids, and Trout Unlimited 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 they can take with them will allow participants to continue enjoying this sport and create more family memories in the great outdoors.”

GRACE LEE, NATIONAL PARK TRUST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

This event at Mississippi National River & Recreation Area is the third of five fishing events in 2022 at national park sites nationwide. Other event locations include Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, WV, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, Canaveral National Seashore, FL, and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, CA.

ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST

National Park Trust’s mission is to preserve parks today and develop park stewards for tomorrow. We work closely with the National Park Service to acquire important privately owned lands to expand and complete our national parks. Our creative and innovative youth and family programs advance public parks, lands, and waters as spaces that are welcoming and accessible to every person in every community. We believe that our public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed by, and preserved by all for current and future generations. Find out more at parktrust.org. 

Media Contact: Ivan Levin at 540-818-5818 or ivan@parktrust.org.

ABOUT OUR MILITARY KIDS

Our Military Kids recognizes the sacrifice of children (ages 3-18) of deployed National Guard, deployed Reserve, or post-9/11 combat-injured service members or Veterans by offering extracurricular activity grants that build children’s self-confidence, enhance family wellness, and strengthen a shared sense of community. Since 2004, Our Military Kids has proudly provided 77,000 activity grants worth $30 million to children and teens across the country. For more information, please visit ourmilitarykids.org.

Media Contact: Michelle Criqui at 703-734-6654 or mediainquiries@ourmilitarykids.org.

ABOUT NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL RIVER AND RECREATION AREA

The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is a 72-mile national park, binding together more than 85 state, regional and local parks from Coon Rapids to Hastings. The purpose of the 54,000-acre river park, established by Congress in 1988, is to preserve, protect and enhance the significant values of the waters and land of the Mississippi River corridor.

Media Contact: Dan Dressler at 651-293-8412 or Dan_Dressler@nps.gov.