A great article by Mike Sievers of the Cortez Journal on local Colorado groups, among which is a Friends of NRA chapter, helping veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan enjoy a hunt.

 Hunt for Heroes honors U.S. veterans' sacrifices 

Bob and Terri Luna hosted a group of heroes at their Colorado Hunting Expeditions lodge in Dolores for a special three-day hunt this past weekend, with five of them having tags and hunting for elk on private land near Dolores.

While none of them was successful as of Saturday night, the Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans all said they had a blast during the third annual Hunt for Heroes as they bonded with people who have undergone similar experiences overseas. Two of them did shoot cow elk Sunday, and more of them stayed Monday as they extended their weekend to keep hunting.

The hunt has inspired similar events across the country to honor veterans. This one is now known as the Mark Ecker II Memorial Hunt, in honor of one of the first veterans who took part in the hunt and is now deceased.

The local chapter of the National Rifle Association makes the event possible. Rob Keating, of the NRA, donated $30,000 of his own money to pay for the veterans' trip.

The NRA also puts the word out about the hunt. Dick Lee, the local NRA chapter president and owner of Diamond D meat processing, processes the elk meat for free. The Four Corners chapter of Safari Club International also contributes to the event, while other organizations, businesses and individuals donate food and other resources.

Continue reading the rest of the article here.