All-terrain wheelchair will allow Fairhope vet to fish on his own

All-terrain wheelchair will allow Fairhope vet to fish on his own
Treasures of Isle, L.A. Parrotheads help sponsor Tacky Jack’s ongoing program
By Fran Thompson
Christmas came early for seven year Army veteran Pat Peterson of Fairhope, who was recently presented with a brand new Action Track all-terrain wheelchair during an emotional ceremony at Tacky Jacks – Orange Beach.
Pat joined the Army after graduation from Fairhope High School in 1989. He trained at Fort Jackson and Fort Gordon and earned certification as a communications specialist. He was stationed in Korea for a year and then transferred to Fort Ord in California. His final duty station was at Fort Lewis in Washington, where he was an ROTC inspector.
His favorite part of that job was teaching soldiers proper rappelling techniques.
His injury occurred in a motorcycle accident back in 2008, less than a year after he left the Army. He was in a coma for 58 days following the accident.
“I was a soldier before I joined the army and I am still a soldier,’’ he told Tacky Jacks CFO Ken Kichler. “I love hunting, fishing, golfing and kayaking and most any outdoor activity.”
A nationally recognized athlete, Pat has competed with the Mobile Patriots wheelchair basketball team for the past 12 years. The Pats are ranked 8th nationally. He has been on the Board of Directors for the American Paralyzed Veterans for the last 12 years, working to improve the quality of life for paralyzed soldiers.
He reached celebrity status when, after he won three gold medals at the 2008 National Veterans Wheelchair Games, General Mills asked him to be their feature athlete on a Wheaties cereal box.
An avid Christian, he said his faith has gotten him through all his adversities.
This is the sixth all-terrain wheelchair the restaurant group has donated thanks to a fundraising idea that TJ’s owner Buddy Skipper came up with.
Each of the three Pleasure Island Tacky Jacks has a big marlin set up for photo opportunities at the entrance.
“He said we ought to try and raise some money with that,” company CFO Ken Kichler said. “We’ve done several different charities over the years.’’
Next to the marlins are donation boxes and posters explaining that Tacky Jacks will match any donation made and use the money to present an action-track chair to a veteran or buy beach chairs for veterans to use while visiting.
The original Orange Beach marlin is a story in itself, as it was salvaged from an extended stint in storage back in 2007 to add to the TJ’s decor. Nobody expected that it would become a popular photo op, let alone an incredible fundraising tool.
The TOI krewe, the Marine League, including Scooter Fredrickson and Marines from Naval Air Station Pensacola participated in the ceremony, as did Ryan Charrier of Operation Reconnect, who matched Pat with the charity.
Treasures of the Isle King Tom Clark and Queen Kim Oliver have made the program their designated charity for the year, and the Lower Alabama Parrot Heads have also made the program one of its charities. Tacky Jacks matches those donations as well.
The program is close to Oliver’s heart, as she has a son (William) who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“This chair will give Pat an extra tool to deal with any situation,’’ Oliver said. “It is so important that we let these veterans know that they have not been forgotten.’’
Tacky Jacks has also partnered with Beach N Buggy to provide beach wheel chairs to disabled vets while they are vacationing here. The chairs are also available to local veterans who just weren’t able to go to beach otherwise.
. The Beach N Buggy team has been building their own beach wheelchairs since 2007. There is no charge to military service connected disabled veterans other than a delivery fee.
Pictured: Sponsors and guests at the TJ’s ceremony; Pat Peterson gracing a Wheaties cereal box after winning three gold medals in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games,