Kevin Tate | June 22, 2009 Author’s My Outdoors
[Editor’s Note: Outdoor Life magazine recently named John Annoni as one of the 25 people who are changing the face of hunting and fishing. John has been a public school teacher for 20 years and he is a member of Mossy Oak’s Elite National Pro-Staff.]
A broken home, an alcoholic stepfather and the stigma of mixed heritage works to break a young man’s heart and spirit, but he finds his way to the woods and breaks free instead. In his own words, the new nonfiction work, From the Hood to the Woods, shares the experiences of John Annoni, who fought through his troubled formative years and, today, helps others live better and succeed. Beaten, abused and scorned as a boy, Annoni used the positive influence of nature, and the lessons from the mentors that he found there, to break out, to break free and, finally, to come home again.
Through the eyes of a man who grew up on the mean streets of Allentown, Pennsylvania comes the true story of a boy’s steeply uphill journey to adulthood. Unflinching, raw, unyielding and, ultimately, uplifting, this is a reserve of really tough realities illustrating the power of the outdoors at work in one man’s everyday life.
The man, of course, is the founder of Camp Compass Academy, a program created to offer hope and escape to young men and women who are suffering through the same trials that Annoni endured and overcame. He is a guide who helps kids cross into the same peace and security that he ultimately found outdoors. The program offers inner-city youth an introduction to the outdoors through an intense mentoring program that combines classroom instruction and hands-on experience. Operating year round, Camp Compass Academy teaches students life skills along with outdoor lore. Most participants remain in the program for three to six years, and gain skills that remain with them for a lifetime.
Mossy Oak became associated with Annoni’s vision after company officials saw him in action.
“I met John at a trade show,” remembers Ronnie ‘Cuz’ Strickland, Mossy Oak’s Senior VP of TV and Media Services. “We were at one of these wildlife shows where everybody who comes by wants to know about the latest, greatest project, what’s the biggest deer, and so on. John had a little bitty booth set up and had these little pamphlets, and every picture was kids, kids, kids. I stopped and talked to him, and he began telling me what he was doing.
“He told me how Camp Compass worked with kids, how it influenced them to make better grades and how their grades allowed them make the traveling squad. I was absolutely numb after hearing this guy talk, thinking, Why hasn’t everybody heard of him?
“The first thing that came to mind was, we’re at this big trade show and one guy over here is doing a seminar, and another guy over there is doing a seminar, and the only real hunting hero at the trade show was standing right in front of me. And I said right then, we’ve got to help this guy.”
Mossy Oak signed on as a partner and, today, works to help Camp Compass Academy gain recognition and raise money. For Mossy Oak, it’s a chance to help an organization that’s making a difference in the lives of young people by sharing the outdoors we all love. For Annoni, it’s another piece of a puzzle that he’s dedicated his life to solving.
The mission of Annoni’s triumphant From the Hood to the Woods was to enlighten; to share the dark struggle that drove one man outdoors and into the good light of camping, hunting, fishing and sharing. It is much more than simply the life story of John Annoni. Like Annoni and his Camp Compass Academy, the book is a beacon that shows us all the high road.
Mossy Oak congratulates our friend and author, and suggests that you or someone you know will find the literary effort of Annoni exceedingly inspirational. For information on securing your copy visit: https://johnannoni.com.