News
Press Releases
Rumsfeld Foundation Announces 2011 Military and Veterans Grants
2011-12-19
Rivers of Recovery Honored to Welcome Accomplished New Members to Board
2011-11-29
Rivers of Recovery feature article in JH Weekly
2011-08-17
THE WORLD’S GREATEST ROCKSTAR “SUPER GROUP” COMES TO WASHINGTON, DC TO BENEFIT THE RIVERS OF RECOVERY
2011-02-05
Amerex Brokers LLC and employees donate over $94,000 to ROR
2009-12-11
On December 11, 2009, Sugar Land-based Amerex Brokers LLC and its employees showed their support for the U.S. military by presenting nonprofit Rivers of Recovery with a check in the excess of $94,000. This money was raised during the company’s Charity Day to benefit veterans and active military soldiers, held this past Veteran’s Day.
Amerex President Clay Davis said, “The overwhelming participation of the employees during our Veteran’s Day Charity Event reflects a company-wide commitment to supporting our Veterans and active military; especially those making incredible sacrifices for our country.”
“We wanted to direct this contribution to nonprofit organizations that are committed to helping veterans and active-duty soldiers recover from combat-related injuries,” continued Davis.
Rivers of Recovery, based in Park City, UT, conducts fly fishing, hiking and overnight camping programs for disabled and severely injured military personnel and their families. Its programs seek to instill a connection with nature, bolster self-confidence and rebuild a sense of empowerment. ROR’s emphasis on the medical testing and evaluation of its programs has validated recreational therapy as an effective form of rehabilitation.
Rivers of Recovery founder and Executive Director, Dan T. Cook, expressed his gratitude, “We are honored and excited to receive this donation. The generosity displayed by Amerex and its employees is truly extraordinary and our appreciation cannot be overstated. ” Cook added “This contribution will allow us to continue to conduct ground-breaking medical research into therapies to treat disabilities such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury as well as physical injuries.”
For more information, please visit www.riversofrecovery.org
About Rivers of Recovery: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008, Rivers of Recovery (ROR) is committed to assisting the recovery of disabled veterans through recreational rehabilitation. ROR’s emphasis on medical research and its utilization of innovative outdoor therapy programs place it at the forefront of organizations creating effective, scientifically proven treatments for the physical and psychological wounds of war.
About Amerex Brokers LLC: Founded in 1978, Amerex is a leading over-the-counter energy brokerage offering services in electricity, natural gas, emission credits and allowances, renewable energy credits, retail energy procurement, energy consulting and energy data services. From its office in Houston, Amerex offers liquidity and timely execution to meet the needs of a global client network of more than 1,000 firms including thousands of traders and risk management professionals. For additional information, please visit www.amerexenergy.com. Amerex Brokers LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GFI Group Inc. (NASDAQ:GFIG), a leading inter-dealer broker specializing in over-the-counter derivatives products and related securities. GFI provides brokerage services, trading system software and market data and analytics software products for a range of credit, financial, equity and commodity instruments. GFI operates one of the largest OTC energy brokerage businesses in North America both directly and through its Amerex and StarSupply businesses.
John and Cindy McCain Join Awareness Campaign for Disabled Veterans
2009-06-19
Rivers of Recovery, a non-profit organization dedicated to veteran rehabilitation, is pleased to announce that United States Senator and Mrs. John McCain will join its “Heart of America” Campaign as Honorary Co-Chairs.
Park City, Utah —(March 17, 2009)— Rivers of Recovery is a 501C3 organization dedicated to providing therapeutic recreational river float trips to veterans, their families and the families of fallen soldiers at no cost to the participants. As a non-profit organization, Rivers of Recovery seeks to heighten awareness for the complex issues facing our nation’s disabled veterans and their families and to promote veterans’ empowerment. Veterans and families from all armed forces and military eras are eligible.
Specifically, the “Heart of America” Campaign will be a coordinated river float traveling the 3,700-mile length of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The float will begin in Montana and follow the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to the Gulf of Mexico. Stopping in key cities along the way, the Campaign’s purpose is to champion disabled veterans causes and provide events which allow the public to demonstrate their support for our nation’s wounded warriors.
In commenting on their participation in the Heart of America Campaign, Senator McCain said, “Cindy and I are honored to serve as Honorary Co-Chairs of the Rivers of Recovery Heart of America Campaign. Veterans give meaning to the call to serve and we must be there to help them for their sacrifices for all Americans. The Rivers of Recovery programs are an outstanding example of the kind of help we can give veterans and Cindy and I are proud to be a part of its critical role in rehabilitating our nation’s veterans.”
“Rivers of Recovery is proud to have a veteran and real American hero join our efforts to pay tribute to other veterans who desperately need this kind of positive outlet and rehabilitating experience,” said Dan Cook, Rivers of Recovery founder and Executive Director.
The “Heart of America” campaign will bring together organizations such as the United States Veterans Administration (VA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), United States National Guard and the United States Chamber of Commerce. These groups will organize local events in coordination and support of the Heart of America Campaign. Additionally, disabled veterans from the VA facilities along the river route will also participate with local and national media outlets as well as political and community leaders.
Senator McCain added, “I strongly encourage elected officials to be part of the Rivers of Recovery Heart of America Campaign and to attend these events as they come through your district and state. What greater test of a nation’s integrity is there than the sincerity of its promises to the men and women who risk their lives to defend it – and what better way to show these veterans our commitment to this ideal, then by being part of such a great cause.”
For further information on this event and Rivers of Recovery, visit http://www.riversofrecovery.org.
# # #
Adventurer to Row Solo for Disabled Veterans
2009-04-09
3,700 mile journey will start in Montana and conclude at the mouth of the Mississippi
Park City, UT - (November 12, 2008) — Fresh off his two-year, 75,000 mile around-the-world fishing expedition, Dan T. Cook, avid outdoor enthusiast and adventurer, plans to embark on a solo rowing trip spanning more than 3,700 miles through the heart of the United States. The journey will commence April 1, 2009 and help raise awareness and funding for disabled veterans across America.
For his trip, expected to take two-and-a-half months, Cook will use a custom-built, self-contained 17 foot dory. His diet will consist primarily of freeze-dried meals and he will sleep on the deck of the expedition vessel.
“The purpose of this trip is to raise public awareness of the challenges wounded and disabled veterans face after they leave the hospital,” says Cook, founder and executive director of Rivers of Recovery (ROR), an organization that offers rehabilitative fishing trips to disabled veterans and their families.
In just its first year, ROR has helped veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and other combat-related injuries and disabilities.
Cook will begin his journey in Three Forks, Montana at Missouri Headwaters State Park and conclude in the Gulf of Mexico. The trip will be fraught with challenges, including rowing across 900 miles of reservoirs and facing unpredictable river and wind conditions. It will be a test of will and endurance, one that Cook says pales in comparison to the challenges faced by America’s wounded warriors.
A special Web site will allow visitors to track the adventure in real-time and view live Web cam updates. Cameras will be mounted at various locations on the vessel, giving an interactive perspective of the journey.
Cook has previously rowed his dory more than 4,500 miles on rivers in Alaska and across the western US. This trip, however, will be unique.
“Many people forget that such an epic adventure still exists in the United States. It will be a daunting, physical challenge,” notes Cook.
Cook’s organization has been featured in several national media outlets, including The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, and his around-the-world fly fishing expedition was chronicled in leading outdoor-interest publications.
For contact information and to learn more about coverage opportunities, visit http://www.riversofrecovery.org or http://www.flyfishingtheglobe.net.
News Articles
Nonprofit helps veterans cope with post-war issues
2010-07-15
Article in the Vernal Express
River of hope: Veterans benefit from fly-fishing in Flaming Gorge
2010-07-09
Coverage in the Park Record, Park City, UT
Man rowing 3,700 miles to bring attention to helping veterans
2009-06-09
Columbia Tribune: Small Boat Carries Big Goals
2009-05-29
Columbia Missourian: Rowing for Veterans
2009-05-29
Kansas City, MO Fox 4 coverage
2009-05-25
Kansas City KMBC
2009-05-25
Kansas City Star: Missouri River journey aims to help wounded veterans
2009-05-25
Omaha World Herald: River trip honors Veterans
2009-05-15
Omaha Fox News video
2009-05-15
Sioux City Journal: Man on a Mission (frontpage article)
2009-05-12
Sioux City NBC News video
2009-05-11
The Salt Lake Tribune (multimedia)
2009-04-06
The Salt Lake Tribune (article)
2009-03-03
Jarvis extols public health benefits of outdoor recreation
0000-00-00
By Laura Petersen, E&E reporter National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis this week encouraged public health professionals to consider the central role the nation's parks can play in a cost-effective health care system by providing safe places to recreate and exercise outdoors. "The national parks and green spaces are an important but often overlooked variable in the American public health equation," Jarvis said during a speech to the American Public Health Association's annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Not only do parks provide opportunities for physical activity, but being in the natural world has also been shown to reduce stress and improve healing rates, Jarvis said. "Simply taking an hourlong walk in a natural environment can bring about a drop in blood pressure and heart rate because of the immediate relaxation you experience," Jarvis said. "And guess what? It doesn't cost anything; it's free," he said to applause from the thousands attending the meeting's opening session. Parks have a long history of addressing public health issues. For example, Frederick Law Olmsted designed Central Park in New York City in the 1850s to provide a refuge where city dwellers could breathe clean air and rejuvenate themselves, Jarvis said. With its 395 parks, monuments, battlefields and other heritage sites, the park system has much to offer a society that is plagued by obesity and is increasingly disconnected from nature, Jarvis said. While 280 million people visit the system every year, the agency would like to strengthen the connection between public lands and public health. "We are trying to encourage a broader vision of a healthier nation in which parks and open spaces play a vital role," Jarvis said. For example, the agency has launched a pilot "Park Prescription" program in which three parks, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, Indiana Dunes and Golden Gate, provide informational pamphlets about the park and recreational opportunities there to health care providers. Doctors can prescribe taking a hike to their patient and then show them where to do it. "We call this 'Take a hike, and call me in the morning,'" Jarvis said. 'Get up and hike' Georges Benjamin, the executive director of APHA, said this helps people see that walking is a great way to exercise and parks provide safe and enjoyable places to do that. "If I were still practicing medicine, I would prescribe that to patients to get up and hike," Benjamin said. Jarvis said he hopes the program will expand, and that the park service and public health professionals can find more ways to partner together, such as promoting the need for more parks in urban communities. Strengthening this partnership will not only improve the health of the nation, but have the added benefit of encouraging environmental stewardship, which is inextricably linked to public health, Jarvis said. "There is also a growing body of evidence that suggests that human health is directly linked to health of our natural world, so if we neglect the natural world, we do so at our own peril," Jarvis said. "As we promote healthy activity outdoors, we are also sending the message the outdoors itself needs to be cared for." Making the case for increased conservation funding, Jarvis said the Land and Water Conservation Fund is the fund that creates parks for people, with all the associated health benefits. "When you consider the power of the outdoors and its universal, free availability, you simply cannot come up with a health care investment that will yield a better return," he said. Benjamin agreed that public health and parks go hand in hand. He said APHA members feel like they have a critical partner in the National Park Service and look forward to working with the agency in the future. "Mr. Jarvis was the hit of the meeting," Benjamin said.