The Highground Male Veterans Weekend Retreat, held July 9-11, was a great time with a gathering of a full camp of Veterans!
After an evening tour of The Highground, the retreat was centered around the base location at Camp Victory. The three-day retreat weekend was filled with activities including a presentation by the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN; a Forest Walk by Healing Oak Nature Therapy; listening to guest speaker, Michael Orban (Vietnam Veteran, author and podcast journalist focusing on the realities of Post-Traumatic Stress management); Klabon’s famous venison supper; music around the bonfire by Blaine Howard; and a workshop led by Scott Schultz of the Heartbeat Center for Writing, Literacy and the Arts.
Rounding out the weekend, was an amazing and tasty Sunday barbecue exhibition brought to the retreat by members of competitive BBQ teams!
Mike and Nathan Schilling – (Smokin Highwaymen BBQ); Collin Arvey (Parrutheads Tact-I-Que); Dan Cehanovich (Squeal Team Six). The teams belong to “The Wisconsin BBQ Posse” which can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/438436589589624. The BBQ chefs educated the retreat attendees and staff on the full process of a successful BBQ; from meat selection, trimming, seasoning and, of course, the cooking. With the tempting smell of the cooking BBQ growing while the Veterans took part in other workshops throughout the morning, the group did not need instructions on the “eating” of the wide range of BBQ options that were served for lunch. What a great way to close a weekend of Veteran camaraderie at Camp Victory!
The Veterans Weekend Retreat is free for Veterans to attend because of the generosity of these sponsors: Alliance Bank, Gauger Ventures LLC, American Legion Post #354, Marshfield Professional Police Association, American Legion Phaneuf-Vanasse #111, Citizens State Bank of Loyal, Milwaukee Brewers, Cathy Lawrence – Scentsy, Festival Foods, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Central WI Broadcasting, WWIS, SCOPE Dept of Corrections, Marshfield Acupuncture & Precision Armament LLC, Green Bay Packers, The Vet Center, The Heartbeat Center for Arts & Literature. Skip & Debbie Klabon, Bonnie Henchen, Michele Benson, Julie Diesing, Karen Habel, Hailey Lewan in memory of Don Marine, Larry & Judith Boyle, VFW Post 2490, Diane Vollrath in memory of Allen Zimmerman, United Vietnam Veterans, and the Moraine Motel.
The Highground’s Male Veterans Weekend Retreats are open to any male Veteran of any age and service history. The next three-day retreat with a focus on relaxation, PTS management information and a variety of accessible outdoor and creative activities will be held at Camp Victory July 8-10, 2022. For information about becoming a retreat sponsor or attending the retreat, please contact Theresa by email to museum@thehighground.us or call 715-743-4224.