War Heroes on Water Charity Sportfishing Tournament Benefitting Combat-wounded Veterans Returns to Southern California Waters

Seventh annual tournament has become a beloved tradition for Newport Beach and Catalina Island residents to show their appreciation to the veteran community

Area sportfishing legends share their knowledge of fishing—and SoCal waters—with 125 veterans from across the country

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.-125 combat-wounded veterans embarked on the sportfishing adventure of a lifetime as they set out from Newport Harbor to participate in the highly-anticipated seventh annual War Heroes on Water (WHOW) charity sportfishing tournament. Harnessing the healing powers of the ocean, the transformative three-day event takes place off the coast of Southern California, helping veterans recover from the physical and emotional wounds of combat with the creation of deep and meaningful relationships forged through the thrill of a world-class sportfishing competition.

“We’re giving veterans a purpose, something to live for, and a new network of brothers and sisters they can talk to and rely on when they’re having a bad day. Because it only takes one bad day for someone to decide that life ain’t worth living.”

The tournament began Saturday afternoon with an intimate welcome reception, where veterans received a hero’s welcome as they gathered with captains, crews and supporters.

Speaking on the importance of WHOW and its supporters at the event, retired Marine Corporal Larry Draughn, a multi-year participant shared, “Keep doing what you’re doing every year, because if you save one life, it’s worth it. A few weeks ago, I lost one of my best friends, and if I could have gotten him involved in something like this, it could have saved him. By doing this, we’re continuing the outreach and saving lives. We’re giving veterans a purpose, something to live for, and a new network of brothers and sisters they can talk to and rely on when they’re having a bad day. Because it only takes one bad day for someone to decide that life ain’t worth living—and that’s what happened to him. It’s all about saving that one life.”

Including this year’s event, the tournament has brought more than 500 veterans, many of whom have been honored with the nation’s highest military decorations, to Southern California to experience the renowned fishing and scenic beauty of the Pacific Ocean. WHOW, which is the largest non-profit sportfishing tournament in the world, is unique for its three days of on-water fishing, which enables veterans to spend more time getting to know one another, as well as spend dedicated time learning sportfishing techniques from the vessels’ captains and crew members.

WHOW Founder Anthony Hsieh and Freedom Alliance President Tom Kilgannon picked up the mic, sharing inspiring words about our nation’s heroes while thanking supporters in front of an intimate audience.

“To think that in just seven years, we’ve been able to create this much momentum—it’s incredible,” said Hsieh. “I want to thank each and every one of you: our sponsors, donors, volunteers, and our amazing yacht owners and crews. It warms my heart to see you all come together like this. I feel truly honored that the community is so committed to our amazing heroes who need—and deserve—our support.”

“It’s wonderful to have your support for the most amazing veteran support event happening today,” said Kilgannon. “I can speak on behalf of everyone here when I say to our veterans: we admire you. We admire you because you made the decision to continue a family legacy of military service. We admire you because you raised your right hand and took an oath to defend and protect the Constitution. We admire you because you went toe-to-toe with the worst people in the world, and you came back to tell us about it. And we admire you especially because you’re here today, reminding us how blessed we are to be Americans.”

The day’s events included a silent auction, which was brought to life by generous volunteers and donors, generating more than $330,000. This brings the total raised this year to $1.1 million and the total raised since inception to more than $7 million via charity partner Freedom Alliance, which provides year-round programs that support the rehabilitation needs of wounded service members, combat veterans, and military families.

Before sending off the veterans, WHOW Tournament Director Rod Halprin shared, “Everything we do here is for the veterans—we want you to feel the support. I’m so excited to get this tournament going and get everybody out on the water. We have a saying around WHOW: WHOW is family. Welcome to my family—all of you vets, donors, sponsors, and crew. I’m very pleased to welcome you and get this tournament started. Let’s do it!”

At the conclusion of the welcome reception, the fleet—featuring 50 of the best sportfishing yachts, crews and anglers in Southern California— lined up in formation for a patriotic boat parade through Newport Harbor before dispersing for the on-water tournament action. The Orange County Sheriff Department’s Honor Guard kicked off the parade with a stirring rendition of the National Anthem. The boat parade is a cherished event for local community members, who line the banks of the harbor to show their appreciation for the sacrifices made by these special veteran heroes.

Once beyond the waters of Newport Harbor, the official tournament action began. In the following days, the sportfishing skills of each vessel’s captains and crews are put on display as they apply their knowledge of the local waters to help their veterans catch local fish species, including rockfish, calico, halibut, yellowtail and yellowfin and bluefin tuna. The competition will conclude Monday afternoon outside Avalon Harbor with a stunning flyover of vintage WWII aircraft by Tiger Squadron.

The veterans and their hosts then gather for a traditional post-tournament weigh-in on Avalon’s iconic Green Pier, which the residents of Catalina Island close off to create a special celebration in honor of the veterans, captains and crews of the competing vessels. Visitors are welcome to join, and the public can catch the weigh-in action live on the War Heroes on Water YouTube channel or Facebook page.

The tournament’s final event will be a private awards ceremony held on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine.

About War Heroes on Water

War Heroes on Water (WHOW) is an annual sportfishing tournament of unprecedented scale that supports combat-wounded veterans’ programs. It was created in 2018 by loanDepot Founder and Chairman Anthony Hsieh, also the owner and leader of Team Bad Company, a world-class, record-holding competitive sportfishing fleet. Through Hsieh’s deep connections with the country’s sportfishing and business communities, WHOW has grown exponentially and is now the largest non-profit sportfishing tournament in the US.

Additional information, including photos and videos from past tournaments, may be found at www.warheroesonwater.com | Instagram: @warheroesonwater | Facebook: www.facebook.com/WarHeroesonWater | YouTube: @warheroesonwaterwhow5640

About Freedom Alliance

Freedom Alliance is a charitable organization which provides help and support to wounded troops and military families. Freedom Alliance has awarded more than $25 million in college scholarships to the children of military heroes killed or disabled in military service and has spent millions more helping injured veterans and military families with outdoor recreational therapy trips, Heroes Vacations, care packages for deployed troops, mortgage-free homes, all-terrain wheelchairs and much more. To learn more, visit www.FreedomAlliance.org or Facebook.com/FreedomAlliance.