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11/15/2019 11:00 PMOn Sunday, Dec. 29, North Branford Intermediate School science teacher Kathleen Granfield will step on the famed field at Gillette Stadium with the New England Patriots.
But Granfield won't be in Foxborough MA to play ball -- she'll be there to be honored as a 2019 Patriots Foundation "Difference Maker of the Week" for her work to found, foster and grow all- volunteer, non-profit Veteran Angler (VA) Charters, Inc.
Founded in 2009 in West Haven, VA Charters, Inc. offers free charter fishing trips to veterans, especially those with severe and life-changing injuries. Last year, Granfield was recognized in The Sound as a Person of the Week, due to being selected as Connecticut VFW's 2019 Teacher of the Year. She was nominated for the statewide honor by a CT VFW official who happened to be guest aboard the 34-foot vessel Granfield captains as part of VA Charters, Inc. Granfield, a West Haven resident, is a US Coast Guard (USCG) licensed captain.
Granfield's goal is to give active duty, retired, injured and recovering veterans the solace and healing she knows comes with being out on the water. The program now has five boats serving military veterans in the New England area. In addition to offering chartered fishing trips on boats captained by volunteer USCG licensed captains, VA Charters Inc. arranges to have health care providers or peer support counselors on board for every trip.
On Nov. 1, the New England Patriots Foundation announced Granfield and VA Charters Inc. had been selected as one of 15 non-profits to be recognized as part of the foundation's "Celebrate Volunteerism" initiative.
"Volunteerism is at the heart of giving back and bettering our communities," said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, in a press release. "We will continue to honor and thank the many deserving volunteers in our region that are often not recognized for their valuable contributions. Through this Celebrate Volunteerism initiative, we hope to inspire Patriots fans to make a difference and become lifelong volunteers."
In addition to appearing in the "Celebrate Volunteerism" awards story gallery now posted at the Patriots Foundation's website (www.patriots.com/community), on Sunday, Dec. 29, Granfield and all of the 2019 Difference Makers will be honored during a special ceremony at the Patriot's final regular season home game at Gillette Stadium against the Miami Dolphins.
In a statement issued with the press release, Granfield described starting up VA Charters Inc. despite knowing whether it would "...really make a difference at all in the lives of our veterans."
"Our beginnings were certainly humble," she said. "There are still days where I can't believe how much it has grown and the number of lives we have impacted. I am so honored by the Patriots Foundation's recognition of our work. It has been, and continues to be, a great honor to serve those who serve us."