Camp Resilience founders thank donors, supporters

GILFORD ― In 2013, four residents of Gilford ― Air Force Vietnam veteran Don Morrissey, Army Vietnam veteran John O’Brien, Marine Vietnam veteran Chris Ray and Army Iraq veteran Kurt Webber, came up with an idea to “use the natural beauty of the Lakes Region with all its amenities and recreational activities to bolster the spirits and help veterans and first responders recover their physical, mental and emotional well-being." After researching how to structure a program to do this and also how to set up a nonprofit, they announced in January 2014 the creation of the Patriot Resilient Leader Institute, which would run Camp Resilience retreats to help “those who served bounce back and improve in mind, body and spirit."

Since then, the PRLI has run over 160 Camp Resilience retreats that have served almost 1,600 military, veterans, first responders and their loved ones.

After almost 13 years, all four founders have now stepped back from the day-to-day operations of the PRLI and Camp Resilience and wanted to show their appreciation to everyone who helped the program grow, particularly in the early years. To do this, they hosted a reception and dinner on Oct. 16 at the Winnipesaukee Yacht Club in Gilford so they could personally thank as many of these supporters as possible.

“Camp Resilience has had a big impact in my life. Helping to run retreats and seeing the positive influence made in the lives of the participants was not only extremely satisfying but also therapeutic for me," said Mark Corry, former vice president of the PRLI Board of Directors. "I learned that giving back isn’t just good for others, it’s also good for you since it gives you a sense of purpose and helps with your own mental well-being.”

After the dinner, Chris Ray, long-time PRLI treasurer, discussed the challenges the organization faced early on raising the funds needed to operate, and acknowledged that it was only able to survive due to the generous donations from many individuals and significant discounts offered by local businesses. However, after struggling for several years, the PRLI has become self-sustaining, which is a significant achievement since over 50% of nonprofits fail during the first few years.

Kurt Webber followed this by thanking all the attendees and the others who have helped Camp Resilience grow and thrive for almost 13 years. He saluted the “board members, volunteers, employees, local businesses and other supporters who helped us achieve our mission of helping those who served bounce back and improve in mind, body and spirit and, just as important, to build the foundation to transition the PRLI into a professionally run, self-sustaining organization with a full-time staff”.

At the end of the evening, retired Army Brigadier General Ed Harrington, former chair of the PRLI Board of Advisors, presented the four founders plaques recognizing their vision to create a program to help veterans and first responders and their efforts to make it a reality.

Learn more about the PRLI and Camp Resilience at camp-resilience.org.