On the Water is a North Dakota-based non-profit that honors U.S. war veterans with a free fishing trip at Lake Sakakawea.
It was started by Chuck Betts when his fishing invitation to a military veteran turned into Betts’ mission to help veterans.
In 2012, Betts noticed his co-worker, an Iraq war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), was having a difficult day. So Betts asked him to go fishing.
By the end of the outing, Betts noticed a change in his co-worker’s demeanor, from a hardened veteran who kept things close to his chest, to a person who softened and opened up.
Not long after the fishing trip, Betts founded On the Water to honor U.S. veterans who have served in overseas conflicts, and have service-connected disabilities, Purple Hearts, or who were prisoners of war with a free fishing trip on North Dakota’s Lake Sakakawea.
Since 2012, On the Water has honored hundreds of U.S. war veterans with a free fishing trip. All activities are based out of Indian Hills Resort, on the north end of Lake Sakakawea.
“Just taking them out for a day, they open up,” Betts says.
At Basin Electric’s 2019 Annual Meeting, the cooperative featured On the Water during the banquet’s Cooperative Social Responsibility video feature. Watch the segment here.
Also, Basin Electric employees celebrated Veterans Day by having donuts and giving a free-will donation toward On the Water.
Jennifer Krogstad, Basin Electric manager of records management, and Jen Holen, charitable giving administrator, serve up donuts for Veterans Day.
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