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A “Season of Giving” Feature Story: Nonprofit Helps Vets Find Healing Outdoors
Published: Dec 17, 2025
About a decade ago, I had the honor of meeting Dave Winters, a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran and government civilian who founded Black Dagger Military Hunt Club Inc. Based in Tampa, Florida, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit helps wounded, disabled, and non-disabled military veterans, their families, and Gold Star Families find healing through outdoor activities.
My relationship with Black Dagger MHC started as a simple donation. But what I quickly realized was that this organization was doing something profound. They weren't just providing free hunting and fishing trips; they were empowering veterans with the resources, connections, and support systems to help them reconnect with civilian life. The biggest struggle for many returning veterans is connecting with their communities, and Black Dagger MHC provides veterans with a renewed sense of purpose and a bridge back into the community.
Our industry's generosity and tight-knit community spirit were a perfect match for Dave Winters and Black Dagger MHC's need for sustained support, and with the organization in our home backyard of Tampa, Florida, the collective impact made sense.
Nearly a decade later, I am proud that many in our industry, including construction firms, roofing companies, and trade associations, continue to partner with and sponsor Black Dagger MHC's fundraising efforts to support veterans. Since its founding in 2012, Black Dagger MHC has helped thousands of veterans engage in outdoor adventures through adaptive sports, enabling them to maintain the quality of life they had before their service. These activities include VA adaptive hunting programs (turkey, deer, alligator, wild boar); fishing charters for veterans and Gold Star Families; and clay shooting competitions and clinics. Black Dagger MHC also expands its support by sending participants to a variety of activities, such as skydiving, concerts, and professional sporting events.
Black Dagger MHC uses adaptive technology, specialized techniques, and state-of-the-art equipment, such as sip-and-puff triggers for people with quadriplegia or audio guidance for people who are blind, so they never have to turn a veteran away, no matter the level of disability. For example, a rocket blast in Iraq stole four fingers on an army sergeant's left hand, destroyed his right leg, caused brain trauma, burned more than 60 percent of his body, and left him blind. Those injuries do not stop him from hunting, skydiving, or competing in shooting competitions.
Some veterans are often told what they can't do anymore. Black Dagger MHC tells them what they can do.
Since 2012, Black Dagger MHC has been a community partner with the Tampa-based James A. Haley VA Hospital's Adaptive Sports Program, helping veterans recover from spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, loss of sight, and post-traumatic stress. Tampa's VA has the largest spinal cord injury unit in the country.
Black Dagger MHC also works with veterans through the U.S. Special Operations Warrior Care Coalition and collaborates with other veterans' groups, military/veteran support organizations, and other like-minded charities to support rehabilitative efforts focused on reintegration after many years of deployments.
For many veterans, particularly those in the special operations community, the outdoors was more than a hobby—it was an integral part of their service and training. Returning home, especially with severe combat injuries, can be marked by isolation and a painful disconnection from that familiar environment. Enter Black Dagger Military Hunt Club Inc.
Though it was established as a nonprofit in 2012, the origin of Black Dagger MHC dates to 2009, when Dave Winters worked closely with the U.S. Special Operations Care Coalition and witnessed the challenges of recovery. Dave said that he saw our nation's military heroes come home with severe injuries and ask the question, "Can I still do the things I loved prior to my injuries?" The healing found outdoors cannot be matched, and after Dave began working with veterans in 2010, he filed Black Dagger MHC for federally approved nonprofit status in 2012.
One of the organization's biggest fundraisers every year is the Black Dagger MHC Military Hunt Club Menton Dinner, and the seventh annual event was held this past Saturday at The Regent in Riverview, Florida. This year's event honored the legacy of the First Special Service Force (FSSF), an elite World War II unit known as the "Devils Brigade" and the generations of special operations warriors who follow in their footsteps. Florida Lt. Gov. Jarrid 'Jay' Collins, a retired Army Green Beret, served as a guest speaker, and there was a special appearance by Mae Krier, who will celebrate her 100th birthday next March, and is one of America's original Rosie the Riveters who built aircraft, ships, and weaponry during World War II.
Another important fundraiser, held every October, is the "No Greater Sacrifice" Gold Star Clay Shoot, which remembers Florida's fallen military men and women and honors Gold Star Families.
Black Dagger MHC operates on the concept of Ohana—family. They understand that healing requires a village. Because the organization has no paid staff, every dollar goes to the veterans. This purity of mission has attracted powerful allies in the civilian world.
Through its annual fundraisers and events, Black Dagger MHC proves that the simple act of putting veterans back into their element—the outdoors— can save lives. When a veteran in a wheelchair navigates a muddy trail to a blind, or a blind soldier successfully hits a target, they aren't just engaging in a sport. They are reclaiming their identity. They are proving to themselves, their families, and the world that they are still capable and still vital.
This holiday season, join us in celebrating Black Dagger MHC and similar veteran assistance organizations as we all give back the most precious gift of all: connection, community, and the chance to thrive, especially for our veterans who have given us so much through their service.
