Founded by Air Force Veteran and Executive Director Gino Attardi, The Healing Road launched in January of in 2007 out of his desire to impart knowledge of the outdoors, hunting and fishing onto the next generation. The organization began by hosting private outdoor events for children in New Mexico and quickly expanded to encompass the southwest, west coast and Rocky Mountain region within several years.
In its early years, the foundation primarily focused on reaching children who lacked the resources or opportunity to experience the outdoors. “We were inspired by the positive effect that the outdoors had on these children and sought to expand our outreach.” As both a parent and veteran, Gino recognized that he was in the unique position to reach military families reuniting after service, deployments and/or combat. In 2010, the Healing Road shifted its focus to host outdoor events specifically designed for military veterans and their children, as well as survivors of fallen veterans and their children, often providing the first step on the path to rebuilding their relationship.
