the turkey time machine

Beards for Benefits, Inc. has been a starting point for countless kids, veterans, their families and event volunteers in their turkey hunting journey. That fact rings especially true for youth hunter Joel Granados and his family. Joel became part of the B4B community in 2023 when the great folks at Milestones Pediatric Therapy in Bainbridge, Georgia reach out. It was safe to say that though Joel wasn't able to harvest a gobbler that first year he was hooked on hunting.

Everyone involved in Joel's hunt the first year was excited to take what they learned and get back in the woods to try again. The B4B team wanted to do all they could to improve Joel's odds on his hunt that season and allow him to enjoy the outdoors more independently year-round. Joel lives with Charcot-Marie Tooth Disease, a progressive, degenerative nerve disease involving the peripheral nerves branching from the brain and spinal cord to limbs and other parts of the body. Much to Joel and his families surprise he was gifted an Action Trackchair® by B4B prior to embarking on his second year of hunting. Joel hunted hard but it just wasn't in the cards for him to harvest in 2024, either.

Finally in 2025 Joel was able to harvest a gobbler with the help of the same great folks he started with, his Dad, guides Jake Vinson and Justin Burke, and new friend and B4B veteran Ryan Dalton. As a man of few words Joel simply said he "felt good" about bagging a longbeard after working so hard the previous seasons. The smile on Joel's face, however, spoke volumes!

Beards for Benefits, Inc. is dedicated to providing experiences and support to the amazing kids and vets out there like Joel and Ryan. If you know a person who you think could benefit from participating in one of our events or are interested in getting involved with B4B as a volunteer, land owner, or sponsor please reach out to the board at beardsforbenefits@gmail.com or message us on our official Facebook or Instagram.