"Studies have shown that adaptive outdoor recreation, combined with professional counseling, can help veterans adjust, decompress and shed their complex responses that are related to everyday events. This process involves addressing memories that are triggered by fear and anxiety brought home from the war zone." – CanyonHeroes.org
This morning, 18 veterans from different branches of the U.S. military and their therapists launched on a week-long rafting trip down the Colorado River. These vets, who served in eras that stretch from Vietnam all the way to Afghanistan, are participants in a therapy program known as Canyon Heroes, designed to assist with the psychological wounds incurred in combat including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Hatch River Expeditions is proud to partner with Canyon Heroes for a fourth consecutive year, providing an opportunity for those who have served to participate in an "adventure therapy" experience in the Grand Canyon. According to owner, Steve Hatch, "It’s important that we show how essential our veterans and military personnel are, and we value the opportunity to give back to our community in this way."
Traveling down the Colorado River with other veterans experiencing similar difficulties is an experience of healing and bonding that is not soon forgotten by those who are given the chance to participate in it. For more information about Canyon Heroes and how to support this amazing program, visit their website: http://canyonheroes.org
Hatch River Expeditions and Canyon Heroes Help Veterans Heal was last modified: July 30th, 2015 by