Zac Greenier of Hampden is the captain of the Trident Armory Shooting Team and the Hampden Rifle and Pistol Club.
After all the competitors finished the three-day match, spent brass casings settled and we were able to reflect on the rapid growth of the Trident Armory Standby to Fly Benefit Match over the past three years, it was humbling to say we raised $52,000 for Maine veterans.
The Trident Armory Shooting Team held the Standby to Fly Benefit Match and Maine State Championship July 16-18 at the Hampden Rifle and Pistol Club. The team, consisting of Chris Austin, Mark Darrigo and myself, has found a true passion for combining the sport we love with raising money for our veterans.
When the benefit match started in 2019, Chris and I realized there was an opportunity to not only host a United States Practical Shooting Association match, but also collaborate with a non-profit Maine-based organization that greatly supported veterans. Recognizing the sacrifice those men and women have made for our country, our families and our freedoms, it seemed like the perfect plan.
We teamed up with the Windy Warrior-Adrenaline Therapy Program, a Maine-based 501(c)3 organization focusing on the mental health and suicide prevention of veterans. They have found the controlled use of adrenaline therapy, such as skydiving, can be a catalyst for healing. We were able to coordinate sponsors, donations and staff and raised $9,000 to donate.
In 2020, Standby to Fly became a USPSA Level II match, one of few held in New England. Despite COVID-19, the event grew in competitors and sponsors. The Trident Armory team also welcomed Mark Darrigo, a disabled veteran who served 12 years in the Air Force.
His passion for giving back was inspiring and drove us as a team to continue to make improvements. Our charity was House in the Woods, founded by Paul and Deanna House in memory of their son, Joel House, who was killed in 2007 in Iraq by a roadside bomb. The house is a retreat for veterans and their families that utilizes activities such as kayaking, fishing, hunting and hiking to bring veterans together.
Our benefit match raised $17,000 for House in the Woods.
This year, we set out to continue to build on the momentum of our previous two years. We selected both the Maine Veterans Project and The Summit Project, two organizations that focus on suicide prevention, honoring fallen heroes and supporting Gold Star families, as our beneficiaries.
The Maine Veterans Project, founded and run by Doc Goodwin, is a volunteer-based wellness program fiercely dedicated to raising awareness and preventing suicides by active duty personnel and veterans. MVP also provides assistance including home repair, vehicle donations, job assistance and fuel programs.
The Summit Project, operated by Greg Johnson, was founded in 2013. Its mission is to honor our fallen heroes and their families through education, fellowship and physical activity. The Gold Star Families unearth a stone to be dedicated to their fallen soldier, which is engraved with their name, rank, and dates. The stones are then taken on an adventure by a volunteer, who learns the history of the soldier and later writes a letter to the family about their experience. These stones have been carried on hikes across the country and around the globe, including climbs up Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro.
Our work on the 2021 Standby to Fly event began seven months in advance and we set a lofty fundraising goal of $20,000. The match was discussed on national podcasts and across social media platforms. We initially began raising money through the sale of raffle tickets for donated items such as a Dillon XL750 reloading press and several firearms donated by Trident Armory in Hermon, Sig Sauer and Springfield Armory.
Our efforts gained momentum, as we elected to have it serve as the USPSA’s Maine State Championship. We were humbled by local and national businesses that donated money, products and services. Their generous contributions were inspiring.
To help us host the match, the Hampden Rifle and Pistol Club built three additional shooting bays in 2020 and added another this year, giving us a total of eight. We held nine stages, which competitors felt was a great balance between short, medium, and long courses.
In all, we had 142 shooters from across the country compete. Many used it as a vacation to see some of the Maine outdoors including Acadia National Park and the coast.
We raised money through stage sponsors, our silent auction and the sale of raffle tickets at the event. Our safe tables, parking lot, indoor facility and even Porta Potties, were sponsored. There were nearly 100 businesses and volunteers that helped make the match a success. We could not have done it without your help. Thank you!
We foresee this match continuing to grow in the future, ultimately becoming a destination event. It continues to receive positive feedback from competitors, staff and club members. There is discussion about more bays being added for next year. Thanks to HRPC for allowing us to use their facilities. We look forward to having it there again in 2022.
In November, we will start accepting applications from Maine-based non-profit organizations supporting veterans and by January 2022 will select a beneficiary or beneficiaries. Follow the Trident Armory Shooting team on Facebook and Instagram for further details.
The 2022 Trident Armory Standby to Fly Benefit Match is scheduled for July 22-24 at Hampden Rifle and Pistol Club.