Rivers of Recovery held its annual Arkansas trip May 9-12, 2019, on the White River.

The trip was made possible by Arkansas community members, who helped raise funds to support the Rivers of Recovery program for combat veterans in the region.

Spearheaded by our own Levi Crawford—former RoR participant and current RoR marketing director—the trip built on the success of other Arkansas RoR fly fishing trips. “Not short of laughs, catching fish and great food, it seemed like everybody had a good time and quickly became best friends,” Levi said.

Rivers of Recovery combines outdoor recreational activities with instruction on the self-treatment of symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety—empowering veterans to live a life that is no longer restricted by psychological or physical disabilities.

“I can’t think of a veteran who wouldn’t benefit from one of these trips,” said Chris Isom, an Arkansas participant. “The time learning to fly fish and being on the water is extremely therapeutic, but even more beneficial is spending time with other veterans and realizing how much you have in common, regardless of your branch of service or rank.”

Rivers of Recovery’s program is scientifically proven and focused on ensuring positive outcomes for our participants that last long after the trip is over.

One participant described his experience on the Arkansas RoR trip: “It was amazing getting to spend time with other veterans who did similar things in war. I’m already planning another trip with people I met on this trip, whom I now call friends.”