Latest from Patriot Point!

Welcome to Patriot Point!

Dear Friends of Patriot Point,

The first half of this year feels like a triumph at Patriot Point, with the return of a steady stream of guests using our incredible property to relax and get away from the stress of their everyday lives. We have welcomed active-duty and veteran service members, their families and caregivers as well as first responders such as a dozen U.S. Capitol Police officers.

In the first six months of the year, Patriot Point hosted 175 active-duty and retired service members and had 719 use days – putting things back on track to where they were before the pandemic. There is much more planned for the second half of the year. We are booked through the fall and will be adding new paddleboards and a canoe, as well as a 32-foot Grand Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat for guests to enjoy on the water and a new ice machine that makes 350 pounds of ice daily.

We also are expanding the reach of Patriot Point. Already in 2021, partnerships have been established and strengthened with groups such as Fort Meade Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, Leashes of Valor, Operation Restored Warrior and Warrior Reunion. We also continue to work with partners USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore, Freedom Hunters, Hope for Warriors and Military Warrior Support Foundation, among others.

The feedback continues to be incredible. It is so rewarding to know the impact we are making for these men and women who give so much of themselves for others. Thank you to everyone who continues to support Patriot Point!

Sincerely,

Steve Beck
Military Bowl Foundation, Inc.
President & Executive Director

Supporters of Patriot Point organized a recent weekend retreat for eight veterans.

“I put the group together as a mixture of different veteran service organizations that I belong to or participate in events with – the Marine Corps League, Wounded Warrior Project and Delaware Chapter of Veterans,” said John Rego, a U.S. Army veteran who was an Airborne Ranger and served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“I had never met most of the guys before. I only knew two of them and only one had been to Patriot Point previously.”

The retreat was sponsored by Patriot Point supporter Bob Basarab of Bel Air Road Supply. Carl Peterson of Nicolock brought a 40-foot boat to take the group out for a day of fishing. Bel Air Road Supply and Nicolock have continually supported Patriot Point, contributing to recent renovations.

As Rego has seen in previous visits to Patriot Point, it did not take long for the group to mesh.
“The first night is always interesting to watch – some guys are a little standoffish and you can tell they have things they are dealing with or don’t know what to expect or how the weekend will pan out,” Rego said.

“But it takes less than 24 hours for that to change. By the second night, everyone is joking with each other, sitting next to someone new, having conversations. It doesn’t matter who you were or where you are from. Slowly but surely you can see them drop their guard as time goes on. The esprit de corps comes out. It makes everybody feel like they’re in the right place.”

One of the veterans was into archery and brought along his bow and arrows and the group practiced its target shooting. Another veteran was into treasure hunting and brought a metal detector – little did the group know it would discover several different old coins while searching along the dune near the beach. Rego sent the coins to a friend who is an archaeologist.

“Stuff like that is so cool,” Rego said. “To make friends like this and have shared experiences.”

On Saturday, Peterson took most of the group out on the water for a splendid day of fishing, while Basarab stayed back at Patriot Point and chatted with one of the veterans who chose to stay on land.

“He served in Iraq and was injured there,” Basarab said. “We hung out all day and got to know each other. Sometimes that means just as much, if not more than, the other stuff. I don’t think he has a lot of people to talk to. He poured it all out. It gave us a little more understanding of what he needed from the weekend.”

After those who went fishing returned, the group relaxed on the patio outside the barn and were entertained by the band Just a Bit Outside.

“It was an awesome weekend,” Basarab said. “I say this every time I visit Patriot Point, but it really was the best weekend!”

Leashes of Valor recently brought four veterans to Patriot Point, where they spent 10 days training with their new service dogs. Read more >>>

The Fort Meade Better Opportunities for Single Service Members recently brought 21 service members to Patriot Point for a weekend retreat. Read more >>>

A dozen U.S. Capitol Police officers recently visited Patriot Point for a weekend retreat. Read more >>>

Operation Restored Warrior recently hosted a Drop Zone program at Patriot Point, bringing five veterans from across the county Read more >>>

Donations are important for Patriot Point to continue serving wounded, ill and injured service members.

Donate Now

For a donation of $1,000, a 6x9 brick engraved with your name or message will be among the initial bricks permanently placed on the walkway in a prominent and exclusive location in front of the renovated Main House on the property.

All proceeds go directly toward supporting Patriot Point programs.

Visit patriotpoint.org for more information!

Buy a Brick

When you use our dedicated link and shop with Amazon Smile, Amazon donate a portion of the proceeds to Patriot Point. Use the following link or go to smile.amazon.com and select Military Bowl Foundation, Inc. as your designated charity.

Shop Amazon Smile

“I had such a great time on the trip to Patriot Point. This is exactly what I needed after having to spend so much time at Walter Reed lately. I was able to meet some veterans and police officers on the trip that I can now call friends. I would definitely recommend this trip to other veterans/first responders.”

- Jeremiah Gorsuch, U.S. Army Veteran

Patriot Point thanks the many individuals and businesses who donated in June 2021. It is because of this support that the Military Bowl Foundation is able to make such an incredible impact on the lives of the wounded, ill and injured service members, their caregivers and their family members who visit Patriot Point: