Wisconsin woodturning event helps wounded veterans find healing and purpose

Twelve years after it started, the Wisconsin woodturning event has settled into something sturdier than a feel-good workshop. Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation said its 12th Annual Wisconsin Woodturning Event brought four combat-wounded veterans to Kronenwetter, Wisconsin, for six days of lathe work that was built around bowls, game calls and the kind of confidence that comes from finishing real projects with your own hands.

The event ran Feb. 1-6, 2026, and WWIA said the week produced plates, bowls, fancy round boxes, spinning tops, game calls, wands, cups, candle holders and rolling pins. That mix matters because it shows what this program actually does: it gets veterans turning wood, shaping round forms and leaving with objects that are useful, giftable and visibly their own. WWIA said the hands-on work helps reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, foster concentration and connection, and increase creative expression.

Tony Kopchinski was the anchor again, hosting the week and guiding the veterans throughout the event and over the years. WWIA also said Kopchinski’s friends and fellow instructors helped teach the class, turning the shop into a small working crew instead of a one-man demonstration. That camaraderie carried outside the lathe, too. WWIA said the week formed new friendships among the participants, which is exactly the kind of outcome a rehabilitation program needs if it wants to last longer than a single visit.

The foundation also thanked WSAW-TV for featuring Kopchinski and the woodturning event on broadcast, giving the week a wider spotlight beyond the shop floor. Then, on April 25, 2026, WWIA posted a podcast episode featuring John McDaniel interviewing Kopchinski about the program. WWIA said the podcast is meant to build awareness of its mission of honor, connection and healing for combat-wounded veterans, and it describes itself as a national 501(c)(3) public charity serving men and women wounded in combat who were awarded the Purple Heart medal.

What stands out is not just that the event happened again, but that it kept producing the same kind of practical results in its 12th year. Four heroes came in, six days of turning followed, and the week ended with finished work, new friendships and a model other clubs could copy without needing to reinvent the wheel.