UFC Heavyweight Stefan Struve paired up with MMA promotion Titan FC in order to give veterans of war an experience of a lifetime. Struve, along with 5 Marines, a Navy Seal and Titan FC representatives, took a 3 day fishing trip along the Florida Keys.
The event, called Warrior Hook-Up, was organized by Titan FC COO Lex McMahon in partnership with AHERO (America's Heroes Enjoying Recreation Outdoors). The trip raised money for AHERO, a non-profit organization that focuses on helping veterans combat the harsh realities of post-war life at home.
"AHERO was founded by a gentleman named Major Lee Stuckey. He experienced a lot in Iraq when he was over there. He went to Afgahnistan and got blown up pretty significantly," McMahon told Bloody Elbow. "After he came home he hit rock bottom. He was sitting at his desk and his phone was sitting next to him. He had the barrel of a .45 pistol in his mouth and was in the process of squeezing the trigger when the phone rang, and on the screen it said, 'Momma'".
Stuckey created AHERO in order to help veterans who have gone through the same physical and mental struggles as him. Events like Warrior Hook-Up give veterans a chance to enjoy fun activities and events with other men and woman who have served.
"It's a mechanism to help them come together and start communicating with each other. Next thing you know they have a network of people that are similarly situated that they can reach out to. We've brought in over 800 vets to our events, from watching Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson fight, to SEC football games to hunting and fishing," McMahon said.
McMahon, who is on the Board of Directors of AHERO, is a veteran marine himself along with his famous late father, comedian Ed McMahon. He has seen the type of impact that war has had on his veteran friends and the thousands of lives taken each year at home.
"Since 9/11, there have been almost 7000 soldiers killed in action. It's a horrible, horrible number. But the real tragedy lies in the fact that, on average, 22 veterans and active military guys kill themselves every single day. That's almost 8,000 every year and 90,000 since 9/11. These guys and galls are suffering a lot, and the mission of AHERO is to bring awareness to these issues and to raise money for treatment."
The organization says that 95% of every dollar raised goes directly to veterans. To donate to AHERO, visit their website at aherousa.com.