Savannah River Site officials are no strangers to deer hunts, turkey hunts and other competitions.
But next month, they are bringing a new challenge to the area.
According to a press release, the U.S. Forest Service-Savannah River is seeking wounded veterans and mobility-impaired individuals to participate in Savannah River Site's First Ultimate Fishing Challenge.
The challenge will be 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 9 at the Savannah River Site's L-Lake.
The fishing challenge will be a catch-and-release event, officials wrote. Each participant will be paired with a badged site employee to create a fishing team.
Site employees will be responsible for assisting participants by providing boats, fishing equipment, life jackets and other items needed to ensure safety.
Those interested can register at www.fs.usda.gov/savannahriver.
On the webpage, the link for the 2015 Ultimate Fishing Challenge registration form can be found on the right side of the screen.
Registration ends Thursday and only 15 participants will be randomly selected by a drawing. A confirmation packet will be sent to selected participants along with a detailed agenda.
The Aiken Sertoma Club will provide lunch for participants and volunteers. In addition, the Department of Energy, National Wild Turkey Federation, Centerra Group, LLC are also partners for the event.
DeVela Clark, forest manager of the U.S. Forest Service-Savannah River, wrote that the fishing challenge offers another avenue for wounded veterans and mobility-impaired individuals to enjoy the outdoors.
"This will be an excellent opportunity for them to experience the natural resources on the Savannah River Site, and we look forward to working with our partners on this and other events," Clark said.
Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the paper since June 2013. He is originally from Vidalia, Ga., and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.