To help celebrate Memorial Day and to recognize our nation’s military veterans, NBC Sports is re-airing a special episode of “South Bend’s Lunkerville.” The episode features host Mike D hitting the water with war veteran Ollie Hughes from Heroes On the Water (HOW), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping military veterans relax, rehabilitate, and reintegrate through kayak fishing. Anglers will ride along as Hughes shares his passion for fishing, kayaking, and the Heroes on the Water organization. HOW transformed his life when he returned home from the war in Afghanistan and faced a challenging recovery process from injuries sustained on the battlefield. The show is a great demonstration not only of the sacrifices Hughes and his fellow veterans have made in the service of their country, but also of how the simple activity of kayak fishing has been remarkably beneficial for the many combat veterans nationwide who participate in HOW programs.
“Fishing is an amazing experience for anyone,” said Scott Griffith, Vice President of Marketing for South Bend®. “It combines a beautiful outdoor experience with an exciting sporting activity, and this combination has proven to be pretty magical. And this same combination of a really positive physical and emotional experience is why kayak fishing works so well for veterans. HOW has proven this—they’ve been able to achieve a 78% decrease in overall stress levels in their veterans, as well as very significant reduction in other combat-related symptoms like avoidance behavior and hyper-vigilance. It’s truly amazing what HOW has done for our warriors and their families, and this really comes through on the “South Bend’s Lunkerville” episode as Ollie tells his story and goes fishing with Mike D.”
There will be two encore airings of the “South Bend’s Lunkerville” episode that features Ollie Hughes and HOW. The first will be on NBC Sports on Thursday, May 26 at 3:30pm EST, and the episode will air again on Memorial Day, Monday May 30, at 1:30pm EST.
“The decision by NBC Sports to air the episode just before Memorial Day, as well as on Memorial Day itself, seems particularly appropriate,” Griffith added. “A lot of people will be going fishing over Memorial Day weekend. As they enjoy that experience, we hope that they’ll have also seen the HOW episode after it re-airs on NBC Sports, and that they will reflect on all the great things HOW has done for our veterans, as well as the sacrifices that the men and women who serve in our military have made for the sake of our freedom and our country.”
Don’t miss out on joining Mike D and Ollie Hughes on an experience unlike any other!
