Submitted Photo From left, Pilgrim Commandery 21 past Eminent Commander and army veteran Neal ‘Skip’ Collett, Pilgrim Commandery 21 treasurer Frank Hughes, Warriors in the Field founder Dave Whittaker and army veteran George Plauger.

ELKINS — The Elkins Pilgrim Commandery 21, Knights Templar Organization made a $500 donation to Warriors in the Field before the charity organization’s doe hunting outing this past weekend.

This month, the Pilgrim Commandery 21, who is known for annually awarding local students the Owens Family Memorial Scholarship Award, donated $500 to Warriors in the Field, a charity organization known for helping veterans with the struggle of everyday issues and ensuring they know “they are not fighting alone.”

With the help of a multitude of volunteers from Wheeling to Lexington, Virginia, Warriors in the Field takes disabled veterans out on excursions like hunting and fishing trips. The organization is endorsed by many veterans organizations, including the American Legion, the Vietnam Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Founded in 2015 by Dave Whittaker and his wife, Warriors in the Field recently celebrated its 10th anniversary in October.

“I wasn’t able to serve in the military… so this is our way of giving back to the veterans,” Whittaker told The Inter-Mountain in March. “I told my wife, ‘If I can’t serve my country, I’ll serve the ones that did serve our country.'”

Warriors in the Field takes around 10 hunting and fishing outings a year and serves around 50 to 60 veterans in this program. The Pilgrim Commandery 21 states that, with all the activities, Warriors in the Field touched the lives of 150 to 200 veterans a year. Whittaker said Warriors in the Field has been able to service more and more veterans throughout the years thanks to support from the community.

“Our first year that we did it, we were able to take two veterans out,” Whittaker said. “Our second year we did it, we were able to take four or five… and now, because of the support of a lot of local businesses and fundraisers and sponsors like Dawson’s Towing… now we average 50 to 60 vets a year that we take.”

Warriors in the Field keeps its focus mostly in West Virginia, with most trips occurring in-state. Of the approximately 600 veterans they’ve taken on trips in the past 10 years, all were from West Virginia except seven.

“We don’t disregard any veterans, but we focus on West Virginia,” Whittaker said.

On Dec. 13, Warriors in the Field held a deer hunting outing for around 10 veterans. The veterans were provided breakfast, a guide in their hunting stands and a side-by-side that took them from place to place. Warriors in the Field volunteers retrieved animals and took pictures for the veterans. At the end of the outing, veterans were treated to a catered lunch before returning home.

“We believe in honoring veterans and active military (service members) for their willingness to steadfastly serve our country,” Warriors in the Field’s mission statement reads. “Every veteran, male or female, swore an oath to defend this country from foreign and domestic enemies even if it meant paying the highest cost to fulfill their promise.”

“As a way of showing our appreciation, Warriors in the Field is dedicated to providing our Veterans with help and support through our Hunting and Fishing Program, helping our Veterans use their military learned skills in the field.”

To learn more about Warriors in the Field or to make a donation, visit the group’s Facebook page, visit their website at warriorsinthefield.org or call Dave Whittaker at 304-704-8108.