By Zach Bzdyra, Special to the Register
HAMDEN — Spending a month fishing may seem like a month of leisure to some, but for Peter Laffin, it’s a way of giving back to the members of the armed forces.
This month, Laffin, major commandant of the 2nd Company, Governor’s Foot Guard, and a physical education teacher at Hamden High School, will be a volunteer fishing guide with the Rivers of Recovery program in Park City, Utah.
Rivers of Recovery is a nonprofit organization that provides fishing trips and other services to help disabled veterans readjust to daily life outside of the service — especially as a means of dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
As a guide, Laffin will spend time with veterans and their families during fishing trips, directing the participants toward a possible catch.
“I can’t tell you what fishing does for them, what it does for their heads,” says Laffin about a previous experience with the program.
Laffin had intended on paying for his trip to Rivers of Recovery — which includes more than 60 hours of driving — with his own money.
Upon learning of Laffin’s plans and remembering the many times the Laffin family had helped him, family friend and neighbor Abner Oakes arranged a fundraiser recently on Laffin’s behalf with the help of Fred McCarthy, the commander of American Legion Post 88.
The event raised about $1,400 fto help defray some of Laffin’s expenses, said Oakes, who recognized Laffin’s desire to return the services that he and his son received from Rivers of Recovery.
In 2006, Laffin’s son, Staff Sgt. Daniel Laffin, was injured during a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Afghanistan while serving with the Army’s 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry.
After returning home, the Laffins were invited to take part in Rivers of Recovery along with two other veterans of the war in Afghanistan and their fathers.
The three vets, who had never met prior to Rivers of Recovery, sat in a room and had the opportunity to talk and share their experiences.
“You could see them relax a little more, relax a little more, relax a little more,” said the elder Laffin. “Then they started to laugh and joke around.”
Daniel Laffin is doing well mentally and physically, thanks to fishing and his participation in Rivers of Recovery, his father said.
However, he still has scars, mobility issues with his left hand and cannot hear out of his left ear.
The opportunity to unite veterans and provide them with a comfortable atmosphere along a river or drifting in a boat is what Peter Laffin says prompted him to inquire about volunteering.
“We are looking forward to having Peter Laffin assist our program this summer,” Dan T. Cook, the program’s founder and executive director, said in an e-mail. “Our volunteers play a crucial role in completing the Rivers of Recovery experience.
“The program seeks to build self-confidence and empowerment for disabled veterans suffering from physical and psychological wounds. Peter will contribute to their rehabilitation by teaching skills such as fly-tying, assisting with instruction (casting, fly presentation) and being part of the enthusiastic support team.”
Said Laffin: “If I can get that twinkle back in a soldier’s eye, if I can get him back to his happy place, then I’m happy.”
Visit www.RiversofRecovery.org for more information on the program and volunteer opportunities.
HAMDEN — Spending a month fishing may seem like a month of leisure to some, but for Peter Laffin, it’s a way of giving back to the members of the armed forces.
This month, Laffin, major commandant of the 2nd Company, Governor’s Foot Guard, and a physical education teacher at Hamden High School, will be a volunteer fishing guide with the Rivers of Recovery program in Park City, Utah.
Rivers of Recovery is a nonprofit organization that provides fishing trips and other services to help disabled veterans readjust to daily life outside of the service — especially as a means of dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
As a guide, Laffin will spend time with veterans and their families during fishing trips, directing the participants toward a possible catch.
“I can’t tell you what fishing does for them, what it does for their heads,” says Laffin about a previous experience with the program.
Laffin had intended on paying for his trip to Rivers of Recovery — which includes more than 60 hours of driving — with his own money.
Upon learning of Laffin’s plans and remembering the many times the Laffin family had helped him, family friend and neighbor Abner Oakes arranged a fundraiser recently on Laffin’s behalf with the help of Fred McCarthy, the commander of American Legion Post 88.
The event raised about $1,400 fto help defray some of Laffin’s expenses, said Oakes, who recognized Laffin’s desire to return the services that he and his son received from Rivers of Recovery.
In 2006, Laffin’s son, Staff Sgt. Daniel Laffin, was injured during a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Afghanistan while serving with the Army’s 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry.
After returning home, the Laffins were invited to take part in Rivers of Recovery along with two other veterans of the war in Afghanistan and their fathers.
The three vets, who had never met prior to Rivers of Recovery, sat in a room and had the opportunity to talk and share their experiences.
“You could see them relax a little more, relax a little more, relax a little more,” said the elder Laffin. “Then they started to laugh and joke around.”
Daniel Laffin is doing well mentally and physically, thanks to fishing and his participation in Rivers of Recovery, his father said.
However, he still has scars, mobility issues with his left hand and cannot hear out of his left ear.
The opportunity to unite veterans and provide them with a comfortable atmosphere along a river or drifting in a boat is what Peter Laffin says prompted him to inquire about volunteering.
“We are looking forward to having Peter Laffin assist our program this summer,” Dan T. Cook, the program’s founder and executive director, said in an e-mail. “Our volunteers play a crucial role in completing the Rivers of Recovery experience.
“The program seeks to build self-confidence and empowerment for disabled veterans suffering from physical and psychological wounds. Peter will contribute to their rehabilitation by teaching skills such as fly-tying, assisting with instruction (casting, fly presentation) and being part of the enthusiastic support team.”
Said Laffin: “If I can get that twinkle back in a soldier’s eye, if I can get him back to his happy place, then I’m happy.”
Visit www.RiversofRecovery.org for more information on the program and volunteer opportunities.