Important Captains, many with their mates, all gathered at the Senior Center in the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Harbor Friday night to get their assignments and itinerary for the fifth annual Fins for Freedom” event which this year is honoring approximately 100 veterans with the boat captains treating them to a day of fishing, complete with breakfast and a victory dinner at the end of the day at On the Deck Restaurant.
“This is the biggest group of veterans we’ve had, thanks to the generosity of so many of these captains and other sponsors,” said Mike Mavernac, president of the non-profit Fins for Freedom organization that created, designed, and sponsors this day of thanking veterans for their service.
“We have found that wanting to help our veterans is wonderfully contagious,” said vice president Jacke Campi, “just look at the generosity of all these boat owners and add to that, all the other sponsors who have given us some spectacular gift baskets we can present to our veterans at dinner at the end of the fishing day,” added Fins for Freedom treasurer Dan Brady.
The Captains themselves were surprised with a gift this year from Jersey Cape Yacht Sales of southern New Jersey. Not only is Jersey Cape Yacht Sales owner Scott Krawiec of Tuckerton here for the day’s event, but his firm presented each of the boat captains with a $50 gift card at the assignment meeting Friday to help offset the high cost of fuel for the day. “We do it to support our veterans, Krawiec said. It’s important to enable them to have a day on the water . Fins for Freedom is a great cause because all of these people working to ensure the success of the day know that nothing heals better than the ocean. “ Whether they had good or bad experiences in their service time, being on the ocean enables them to rest, relax, and simply forget any bad memories, he added.
Fins for Freedom also presented each of the captains with hats and mugs reminiscent of the event as well as pizza at the assignment dinner.
Mike Taffuri of Oceanport, who works for Jersey Coast Yacht Sales, is taking several of the veterans on his own boat, a 34-foot Regulator he named “Overregulated,” his third year of volunteering. “It’s important,” he said, recalling his father was a veteran and in a way he is also doing it for him. “It’s really just a good thing to do, remembering all veterans,” he said.
There are two female captains heading boats in this year’s Fins event, the first time for that, Brady said.
Kathy Eisen, along with Lenny Zagrecki of Atlantic Highlands share the honors as co-Captains this year treating veterans on Zagrecki’s 32-foot Blackfin which is docked on pier 3 at the harbor. Kathy’s Double Take, a 23-foot North Coast is also docked in the Harbor where she has been a patron for more than 30 years. This is their second year volunteering for Fins for Freedom and both say they do it simply because they want to support veterans. “They just don’t get the respect they deserve,” both said, “so at least we want to do our share.”
Cindy Johnston of Eatontown is the second female captain, taking her 23-foot Tidewater center console, C Dreams, out with veterans. Johnston said she has waned to do this other years, but since her craft is somewhat smaller than most involved in the day, she has shied away because of weather concerns. “This year looks good and I’m ready and eager to help in this effort,” she said. Johnston also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and believes in the importance of “giving back.”
One of the mates for the Fins event, Steve Deghapp was raised in north Jersey but now lives in Oregon. He came back specifically the Fins day to mate for his friend, John Neyhart, whose Hooked Up is one of the boats volunteering for Fins. The pair were college roommates, the Oregonian was a captain of his own craft in Oregon, but wants to be part of this event because “my whole family were veterans. Besides, “ he laughed, “I love to see how excited they get when they catch a fish.”
Brian Rice of Fair Haven is captain of the Jersey Devil, a 31-foot craft he’s has in the Fins event with his son Jack as mate. Rice is the Director of the Foundation for the Mental Health Association of Monmouth County, but also is president of Rice Wealth Fund his own Foundation. With his experience working with mental health, Rice said it is obvious how a day on the water is therapeutic and helps anyone, but especially veterans, forget any horrors they’ve faced in the past. “Besides,” he adds, “it’s just nice to give back.”
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