Osseo Students Start ‘Take a Hero Fishing’ Program with Palmer Lake VFW
It’s a unique partnership.
The Palmer Lake VFW in Brooklyn Park has helped out some Osseo High School students with their high school fishing team expenses. Now one of those students is showing his appreciation back to the veterans through the “Take a Hero Fishing” program.
“How it all started was I signed up to fish, high school fishing. And I qualified for nationals. They helped me donate some money to help us go down there succeed and then the following year, my brother, Harrison Betker, qualified and they sent him down there too. Then I asked my dad one day, I said ‘how do we give back to Palmer Lake VFW?,'” said Jackson Betker.
And with that Take a Hero Fishing was born. Sponsors donated the use of a boat and tackle. And Jackson takes lucky winners drawn from members of the Palmer Lake VFW on fishing trips around the area. But that’s not the only way Jackson and his friends have found to show their appreciation to vets.

Vexus donated the use of a fishing boat for Take a Hero Fishing
“See when they give back to the community they give back in other ways too. Jackson and his cohorts from Osseo they came over and helped us with the booyah the last two years. They came and helped us police tables at the membership dinner and we’ve become good friends with this group,” said Dave Thompson of the Palmer Lake VFW.
Jackson said the Take a Hero Fishing trips will continue through the summer into September.