Mark Pool knows what it’s like to be handicapped with a love for hunting.

Pool, who serves as County Engineer for Houston County, fell out of a tree three years ago, broke both legs, and has suffered complications since then, including a stroke and chronic stroke pain syndrome.

That experience, along with a desire to help our nation’s disabled veterans, led to the foundation of the Whitetail Warrior Project Inc.

Pool and veteran Gary Everett told their stories to the Luverne Kiwanis Club on Tuesday.

The two are spreading the word about a new tag that may soon be available for cars in Alabama.

Pool has known Crenshaw County Engineer Benjie Sanders professionally for years, and the two have worked to form the nonprofit organization.

“It took a year and a half to set up as a nonprofit,” said Pool.

The mission of the Whitetail Warrior Project Inc. includes providing funds to organizations to promote and facilitate hunting among wounded and disabled veterans; purchasing, leasing and maintaining hunting land to be used for that purpose; provide hunter safety and other training opportunities to those organizations; and to assist in the development of technology and equipment that will benefit the special needs hunter.

Pool has already developed the “Scoot-n-Shoot,” a nearly-silent electric golf cart outfitted with a net covered in fake foliage as camouflage.

“90 percent of all funds we take in will go to our mission statement,” Pool said. “That may end up being closer to 100 percent before everything is finished.”

Along the way, they also had the idea to set up a car tag to benefit the organization.

Recently, Pool has teamed up with Everett to talk about the program and to promote the tag.

Everett was injured by a suicide bomb attack in Iraq in 2003 that killed two of his friends and fellow soldiers.

He has been through over 27 surgeries and has suffered nerve damage all over his body along with losing feeling in one of his legs.

Everett said he had worked with other charities like the Wounded Warrior Project but did not agree with the way money was being spent and how much actually benefitted veterans.

However, he said he enjoys hunting and believes in what the Whitetail Warrior Project stands for.

Pool and Everett have been to Montgomery to speak to the House Oversight committee to get approval, and 250 commitments are needed before November before the tag will be printed and available for purchase.

The cost for the tag is $50, but much of the money goes to the Whitetail Warrior Project.

“It’s all about the organization,” Everett said. “$43 per tag is profit that goes to the organization.”

If the 250 pre-commitments for the tag are not met by November, the group will lose its chance to sell the tags.

The tag features the outline of a large buck along with the phrase “White Tail Warriors,” an American flag and “Veterans.”

To become a pre-commitment for the tag, take a current tag receipt for the vehicle you wish to purchase tags for to the probate office along with $50 to commit to the purchase.

If enough pre-commitments are met by November, the tag can be changed out for your standard tag then.

“We’ve already started to get receipts coming in,” Everett said.

For more information about obtaining the tag, contact the Crenshaw County Probate Office or Whitetail Warrior Project Inc. The address for the project is PO Box 34, Ashford, AL 36312 or by e-mail at whitetail-
warrior-project@gmail.com