450 Miles By Lawn Chair
Yup, you read that right. That is how Kurt Dugger refers to his PPG, or powered paraglider.
The Darkhorse 450 was a fundraising effort in 2019 for the Darkhorse Lodge in Western Tennessee, and will be back bigger and better with more flying lawn chairs for 2020.
Darkhorse Lodge
Direct from their website:
Darkhorse Lodge will be a retreat for combat veterans of all branches of service to come to relax, fish on Kentucky Lake, enjoy area activities and communicate with others who have walked in their boots. All at no cost to our guests.
KIA Afghanistan
10/14/2010
“Once completed, there will be five, 5 bedroom guest cabins, each room named for one of the 25 men lost from the Marine Corps’ 3/5, Darkhorse unit. When our 19 year old son, LCpl Alec E Catherwood, was killed in action on October 14, 2010, it felt as if the world had ended for us. After realizing that we wouldn’t honor him by giving up, I stayed up nights, wondering what I could do for those who did come home. Once I had the basics down, my husband added improvements to the plan. Finding my new purpose in life has given me a reason to get up each morning and face the challenges ahead. “
“We will need A LOT of money to complete our build. 5 guest cabins, a staff cabin, and a shower house/dining facility (named for US Army National Guard, Specialist Tim Bowman, who committed suicide on Thanksgiving Day, 2005 after returning home from Iraq). Our employees will be combat veterans as well, including those who will take the participants fishing at one of the most beautiful spots in the south (oh yeah, we’ll need boats and gear donated as well). The buildings at Darkhorse Lodge will be handicapped accessible to accommodate as many of our veterans as possible.”
Gretchen Catherwood
My Thoughts
I heard about the the Darkhorse Lodge and the 450 adventure on The Survival Podcast. Was so moved by what they’re doing, I had to share it with someone.
The reason this affected me so was that I can think of a few guys I knew who might still be here if they had something like the Lodge. Help to decompress, work through their experiences, and transition back to civilian life. I can only imagine how their parents feel, outliving their children. Case in point:
In conclusion, let’s help give our vets a piece of the America they were promised, after they gladly raised their hand and served for us.
Please consider supporting the Darkhorse Lodge today.
https://www.darkhorselodge.org/donate
More about Kurt Dugger and the 2020 Darkhorse 450 run can be found here:
P. S. If you’ve been following the progress with my Sonex, I’ll add that I have been planning some way of using the airplane to give back. Even before I bought it. Therefore, veterans charities will definitely be one of my focuses. I’m not revealing any details right now, I’m not affiliated with the Darkhorse Lodge at this time.