HRO Programs / Events

Heroes Articles

HRO Fly Fishing Class Adventures

Tuesday, August 27th the Heroes Rising Outdoors held our first fall session of fly-fishing...

Veteran Hunting Class

Tuesday, July 9, the Arizona Elk Society and Heroes Rising Outdoors held its first ever series of...

arizona elk society's

Annual Golf Tournament

Join us for the Arizona Elk Society's HEROES RISING OUTDOORS Golf Tournament on February 28th, 2025 at Oakcreek Country Club in Sedona, Arizona. All proceeds benefit the HEROS RISING OUTDOORS program helping veterans reconnect with outdoor activities that they may have felt were no longer possible. You will be playing a 4-person scramble format on the beautiful Oakcreek Country Club courses nestled in the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona. There will be lots of food, drinks, and prizes. Every Golfer has an opportunity to win a hole-in-one prize of $10,000 cash!

More info & Registration click here

arizona elk society's

HRO Programs

HRO Hunts

Guiding our heroes on a hunt

Our goal is to provide good opportunities for these men and women to get them back into the woods, able to enjoy the Hunting Heritage of Arizona.

Get Started - Request a Hunt

HRO Fly Fishing Classes

Learning to flyfish

In 2023 AES partnered with Fly Fishers Arizona to bring an opportunity to veterans to participate in the great outdoors. The program consists of four classes at the AES office lasting about an hour, with a fishing trip to a local lake. The four classes are as follows, Class #1 Introduction to Fly Fishing; Class #2 Learning the three most common knots; Class #3 Learning casting techniques; Class 4# Basic fly tying and casting.
The individuals will truly enjoy the skills they will acquired during our four weeks of instructional classes.

sign-up for notifications on the Fly-Fishing Program

Vortex

VORTEX (Veterans Outdoor Recreational Therapy Equine Xperience)

Arizona Elk Society has been busy expanding our HRO (Heroes Rising Outdoors) program. We have already completed our first fly fishing class and trip and we're planning the next one. We also have bass fishing classes in the works. We have partnered with EmpoweRanch in the past and are doing it again because we have similar goals. We want to help all veterans! With that being said... We are excited to announce a brand new set of dates for this year's VORTEX program. The VORTEX (Veterans Outdoor Recreational Therapy Equine Xperience) program invites veterans who enjoy the outdoors and want to heal through the ranch lifestyle with horses, farm-fresh air, and campfires.  

This is a group recreational therapy program using horsemanship, outdoor recreation, service, and more to improve quality of life for veterans, especially those who may be experiencing depression, isolation, anxiety, PTSD, TBI, and similar.  No riding or horse experience required. This is not a riding program, although some riding opportunities may be offered. The focus is on supporting you in getting more out of life based on your strengths, interests, and abilities, not on limitations.

This is an 8 week session. We ask that you would be able to commit to the whole 8 week session as each week builds upon the last. We are reaching out to our larger base because we want to help as many veterans as possible. If you know someone who could benefit from this please encourage them to fill out the application and/or reach out to us. We are here to help!

sign-up for notifications on the VORTEX Program

Vortex Application