After 27 years in the U.S. Army, the founder of LEEK Hunting and Mountain Preserve found a new way to continue serving those who served.

By Jessica Kenley

Nestled among the rolling mountains of Potter County, where towering hardwoods stretch toward the sky and quiet trails wind through nearly 400 acres of wilderness, the LEEK Hunting and Mountain Preserve looks, at first glance, like a sportsman’s paradise.

But spend a few minutes with founder Ed Fisher, and it quickly becomes clear that hunting is only part of the story.

The real mission is healing.

“I wanted to stay involved with our military,” Fisher said, on a balmy June 2026 day, with a purposeful look.

That simple statement has shaped nearly two decades of work through the LEEK Hunting and Mountain Preserve—better known as LEEK—where wounded veterans from every branch of service are welcomed each year for hunting trips, fellowship and, perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to reconnect with people who understand the sacrifices military service often leaves behind.

“We serve all veterans, all wars,” Fisher said. “We want to include every single veteran that is out there.”

For the past 18 years, that promise has guided everything the organization does.

Throughout the year, LEEK hosts seven hunting events for wounded veterans, including predator hunts, flintlock season, spring gobbler, bear, pheasant, antlerless deer and winter rifle hunts.

The preserve itself encompasses approximately 400 acres, but thanks to the generosity of local landowners, veterans have access to nearly 40,000 additional acres for hunting and fishing opportunities throughout the region.

“When people found out what we were doing, they all wanted to get involved,” Fisher said.

Each March, supporters gather for LEEK’s annual fundraising auction, helping ensure veterans can participate in these programs regardless of financial circumstances.

While the outdoor experiences remain at the heart of LEEK, Fisher says the organization’s mission has expanded to confront one of the most urgent issues facing today’s veterans.

Suicide.

Construction is currently underway on a new 300-seat veterans center, a facility Fisher envisions as a place where veterans can gather throughout the year—not only for banquets and community events, but also for support programs focused on mental health and suicide prevention.

The building is designed to be financially self-sustaining through rentals, conferences and community events, allowing donations intended for veterans to continue supporting LEEK’s core programs.

“We’re in the midst of building a 300-seat hall that will allow us to provide more focused programs for our veterans,” Fisher explained.

Every veteran who visits the preserve is invited to sign a book titled “22 – I Will Not Be That Number,” a reference to the tragic statistic that an estimated 22 veterans die by suicide each day.

The commitment Fisher asks them to make isn’t complicated.

“If somebody calls you,” he tells them, “just listen.”

“You don’t have to be a counselor,” he said. “But you can give them the number of a counselor. Just listen.”

It is a remarkably simple message that reflects the philosophy behind everything LEEK has become: no veteran should ever feel they are fighting alone.

That spirit of service has defined Fisher’s life long before the preserve existed.

A retired Army veteran, Fisher served 27 years in uniform, living around the world and deploying during multiple overseas operations.

His military career included service during Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait, where he helped prepare American forces as tensions again escalated with Saddam Hussein following the Gulf War.

He later spent nearly a year in the Republic of Georgia, helping train that nation’s military to combat terrorist activity in the remote Pankisi Gorge after the September 11 attacks.

The assignment required constant vigilance.

Military personnel varied their travel routes daily because kidnappings and attacks were a constant threat.

Yet even in dangerous places, Fisher looked for ways to help others.

While serving overseas, he brought two teenage girls from a Georgian orphanage to Pennsylvania for Christmas and raised enough money through churches, veterans organizations and community supporters to fund the orphanage’s annual operating budget.

Helping others, it seems, simply came naturally.

That same compassion extends to remembering those who never made it home.

Fisher is frequently invited to serve as keynote speaker during Memorial Day ceremonies, where he reminds audiences that nearly 1.9 million Americans have given their lives in defense of the nation.

One memory remains especially meaningful.

While stationed in Kuwait years after the Gulf War, Fisher attended a Memorial Day ceremony attended by only a handful of Americans—but hundreds of Kuwaiti citizens gathered to honor the sacrifices of U.S. service members.

“They remember,” Fisher said. “Americans ought to do that too.”

Walking through the preserve today, reminders of sacrifice are everywhere.

Military memorabilia lines the walls.

Awards recognizing years of service fill display cases, including honors from Fisher House Foundation, which provides housing and support for military families while loved ones receive treatment at military hospitals such as Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Among the exhibits is a moving tribute to Marine Sgt. Jason Donald Dunham, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after sacrificing his own life to save fellow Marines by covering an enemy grenade during combat in Iraq.

Each display serves as another reminder that behind every medal, every photograph and every folded flag is a story of courage, sacrifice and service.

During a personal tour of the preserve, Fisher spoke less about his own accomplishments than he did about the veterans who continue to inspire him.

That humility may be what leaves the strongest impression.

Nearly three decades in uniform prepared him to defend his country.

Retirement gave him a different mission.

Today, instead of leading soldiers into battle, Ed Fisher is leading veterans toward healing—one hunt, one conversation and one act of kindness at a time.

And in the quiet mountains of Potter County, that mission continues every day.

The LEEK Hunting and Mountain Preserve is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving veterans from all branches of the military, and is all volunteer work. 

Community support and donations make its programs possible.

To learn more, volunteer, or make a donation, visit LEEK Hunting and Mountain Preserve (SAVAW–Saving All Veterans, All Wars) or contact Ed Fisher at 410-322-4610. 

To donate to the LEEK Hunting and Mountain Preserve via PayPal, just click right here: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=NSPXKKEEB5UXW&fbclid=IwY2xjawSRjX5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFLOGFSRks1cVBXQWdnWjk4c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHh9QhWY7g1yQfzjWClR1OiZM3Qhwp9C7yWZx-4uJbd27kFzhNMFNHf-YPzV-_aem_pyuijWtEs-ScnA7X7aHm1A

Donations directly support programs designed to help veterans heal, reconnect, and rediscover purpose through outdoor recreation and peer support and a strong sense of love and belonging.