Nonprofit gives back to veterans with hunting trip

Early on a Saturday morning during the first weekend in November, veterans Mark Ballard and Kim Rowley get together to host an event at the Lazy Bear Ranch in Weiser.
 These two men were brothers in combat in the Army in their youth and have always been close throughout the years. Back in 2011 Ballard, who is a disabled veteran, wanted to give back to others that have served our country.
 From this idea he formed a nonprofit named Freedom Isn’t Free Veterans Hunt, an organization that focuses on providing leisure outdoor activities to our nation’s veterans and Gold Star family members.
 Always an avid hunter himself, Ballard saw this as a way to give back. The activities that he provides for service members include hunting, fishing and providing an environment that fosters a sense of relaxation.
 Ballard lives in Texas and produces hunts all the way from Texas to Idaho and Oregon. His hunt in Weiser, now in its fourth year, is in part due to his lifelong friend Kim Rowley, who lives here.
 Rowley, who is a corrections officer in Ontario, works with the veterans that he comes into contact with at the prison.
 As Ballard said, “we all made the decision to join the military for various reasons, and prior to 9/11 most of it was not for patriotic reasons.”
 Ballard’s goal in life is to provide this opportunity to as many people as he can.
 “Not everybody needs to be a combat soldier to be shown gratitude for their sacrifices,” he said.
 “From the hunt guides to Kali Branstetter helping me make lunch, we are just a group of people who find it important to say thank you to our veterans any way we can,” Keith Bryant said.
 Additional photos of this year’s hunt and hunt dates are posted on Ballard’s website freedomisntfreeveteranhunt.com.