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Sarasota News Leader November 8, 2013 Page 98 Office's military liaison and the southeast- retreat to Florida about four months after ern regional director for Operation Second that one. Chance. Since then, he has brought in groups probIn the course of conversation at that gather- ably 13 or 14 times. Generally, four to five ing, Kenney says, he asked how he could help. participants come for each retreat, and they stay three to five days. All travel and room Knisely told him, "Just get the word out." expenses are paid, generally by Operation Kenney's response: "I told him I could do bet- Second Chance, he points out. Local busiter than that." nesses and private donations pick up Kenny learned that Operation Second Chance everything else. Restaurants provide all the — unlike a number of organizations that pres- meals, for example. ent themselves as a means of helping veterans "We've had such an outpouring from the com— has very little overhead. Almost all of its munity," he points out. resources, he says, go to helping people. Any wounded veteran, with physical and/or An Army veteran himself with a son who emotional trauma, is welcome to come, he served two tours of duty as a Marine in Iraq, says, noting that post-traumatic stress disorKenney went to work on arranging another der (PTSD) "is a big thing these days." Veterans join volunteers in a big rowing vessel provided by Sarasota Crew at Benderson Park. Photo by Rachel Hackney