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This is what I did yesterday: Kids Fishing Day 2025.
Posted on 5/14/25 at 7:24 am
Posted on 5/14/25 at 7:24 am
Out fishin': Thousands of Utah kids, young adults with special needs take to the pond
It was a good day. I hauled buckets full of fish, "prehooked" fish and took them off the line and gave them to the kids. It was a great day with "special needs" kids of all abilities there.
quote:
SALEM, Utah County — Nearly 1,500 kids and adults with special needs and disabilities spent their day reeling in fish and enjoying the outdoors on Tuesday at the annual Kids Fishing Day at Salem Pond.
Attendees from local school districts had the chance to learn how to cast a fishing line, reel in a fish and choose to keep or throw back their catch. Around 500 volunteers from several organizations helped run the event by preparing fishing rods, pre-hooking fish, assisting attendees and cleaning any fish being taken home for dinner.
It was a good day. I hauled buckets full of fish, "prehooked" fish and took them off the line and gave them to the kids. It was a great day with "special needs" kids of all abilities there.


Posted on 5/14/25 at 9:26 am to Lonnie Utah
Awesome and good on you!


Posted on 5/14/25 at 9:56 am to Sea Hoss
quote:
Awesome and good on you!
Two kids from yesterday stood out to me. The way the process works (or should work) is the kids come and sit in the chairs. This is to keep them from accidently getting too close and falling in the pond (which happened to a kid in a wheel chair in the early years of the event. Two big guys went in and pulled him out chair and all). One person "pre-hooks" a fish and slips it into the pond and spools out the line. Then you carry it over to one of the kids and hand it too them and tell them, "If you feel a tug, reel it in." Kid #1 had his head down and wouldn't make eye contact, which isn't unusual. He just held out his arms. I moved the rod toward him and he stayed in the same position. It was then that I figured it out. The young man was blind. So I handed him the rod and in a few seconds he felt the fish and reeled it in. I was unhooking the fish and put it in his bag. Most kids are a little timid and don't want to touch the fish. But I asked this kid and he shook his head yes. He stuck out his hand and I lifted the fish up to him. The look of surprise and joy on his face was overwhelming. His teacher said, "Oh, he's blind". And I said, "Yup, I figured, that's what I wanted him to touch it." Tears welled up in her yes and she said, "Thank you for that, it's how he learns. That will mean more to him than anything else today" Dang.

The other was what I assume was an autistic, non-verbal verbal kid there with his mom and dad. It was fairly simple exchange of the rod and fish but the young man got so excited. He was hopping up and down in his chair smiling from ear to ear clapping his hands in delight. At the end of the day as I was walking to my truck I saw the family again and asked the young man if he had a good time and his mom thanked me and all of the volunteers for helping out. I thanked her for the gesture and told her "Mama, it was my pleasure. I get WAY more out of it than I put into it." And that's the truth.
Posted on 5/14/25 at 10:00 am to Lonnie Utah
Damn that’s an awesome couple of stories. The country needs more people like you! Thank you
Posted on 5/14/25 at 11:45 am to Lonnie Utah
This is awesome. How'd you get involved with this organization if you don't mind me asking? Would love to volunteer my time towards something like this.
Posted on 5/14/25 at 11:47 am to Lonnie Utah
quote:
That will mean more to him than anything else today" Dang.
Dammit Lonnie, I'm at work


This post was edited on 5/14/25 at 11:47 am
Posted on 5/14/25 at 11:51 am to Dale3
quote:
How'd you get involved with this organization if you don't mind me asking?
A buddy of mine is on the board of one of the charities that started it 30+ years ago.
This post was edited on 5/14/25 at 11:52 am
Posted on 5/14/25 at 11:58 am to Sea Hoss
quote:
Dammit Lonnie, I'm at work
My buddy I spoke of in the post above tells a story about a kid that came 10-15 years ago. He was blind and it was a similar situation, but I think he was more high functioning with his blindness. The kids get 1 "free" fish but can fish for real afterwards for as long as they want. Anyway, my buddy was working with this blind kid and was doing very well dead lining. The next year, the kids mom came up to my friend and said, "THANK YOU so much for teaching my kid to fish!!" Turns out, with his blindness, he was able to pick up the most sensitive strikes due to his heighten since of touch. He finally had an outdoor activity that he and his family could participate in. They have a saying, "Taking a kid fishing won't change the world, but it might change the world for that kid."
Posted on 5/14/25 at 1:52 pm to Lonnie Utah
Good job...more kids need to be fishing
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