Toy soldiers, real veterans

CARL MCKINNEY/Alachua County Today

Stephanie Peek and Rebekah Murrey stand in front of the prize kayak. She donated it to the Irish Water Dogs to be used for the Warriors program.

HIGH SPRINGS – Stephanie Peek won big, but she gave it away to help local veterans.

The High Springs group Irish Water Dogs was invited to participate in the Second Annual Toy Soldier Run on Saturday, Nov. 30 at Ginnie Springs. The event was mainly to raise money to buy toys for underprivileged children, but the Irish Water Dogs were there holding a raffle to raise money for their program for veterans in the area.

Sue Weller, former mayor of High Springs, called out the winners at the event. The Irish Water Dogs was one of three nonprofit groups invited by the North Florida Presidents Council of Motorcycle Clubs and Organizations, a sponsor for the event.  

The Irish Water Dogs Warriors program takes former service members on excursions into nature, particularly kayaking and canoeing trips.

“It’s peaceful for them,” said Peek, who is one of two owners of the True Blue Cafe in High Springs. The trips help veterans with psychological and physical damage from their service, she said.

Peek won an $800 kayak in the raffle, but donated it back to the Irish Water Dogs to be used for the Warriors program.

“We only have so many kayaks,” said Karen McInerney, community outreach director for the Irish Water Dogs Warriors. When a large group of veterans go out, sometimes the organization has to pay several hundred dollars to rent extra kayaks.

David Marquis also came out a winner in the raffle, securing a new Tactical Solutions custom rifle, with a green barrel and the Irish Water Dogs logo.

Local gun shop owner Scott Allison donated the use of his firearm license, since firearms can only be delivered to a license-holder.

“Without Scott, we wouldn’t have had a raffle,” McInerney said.

All proceeds of the raffle went to support the Warriors program.

Peek entered the raffle with her business partner and friend Rebekah Murrey, both supporters of the Warriors program, they said.

Irish Water Dogs founder David McDaid started the organization about seven years ago as a commercial venture, but decided to use his network to help veterans. He started the nonprofit Warriors division in Jacksonville, which soon expanded to Tampa, Miami, South Carolina, Virginia and Idaho. There are now 16 chapters spread across nine states. Each month, around 1,100 to 1,200 veterans go on the nature activities nationwide.

Former military members suffering from PTSD, for example, can benefit from the therapeutic nature of the trips, he said.

“Being on the water is incredibly healing,” McDaid said in an earlier interview. “I’ve seen miracle transformations with this program.”

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