Have you ever seen the look on a kid’s face when he hooks — then reels and lands — his first “real” fish? It’s pretty spectacular, and it’s a feeling of triumph Will Dunn gets to enjoy nearly every weekend through his nonprofit Take a Kid Fishing.
Based in Lakeland, Take a Kid Fishing “is dedicated to enhancing the lives of underprivileged and fatherless kids through mentoring and fishing excursions that are geared and dedicated to their future,” states the group’s website. “On these excursions, we educate the kids by teaching them life skills and responsibilities through fishing. Once they grasp the concept of fishing, it enables them to learn patience, teamwork and how to relax, think and not make rash decisions. Fishing also helps show them to support each other whether they win or lose (catch a fish or not).”
Dunn and his young charges spent a few days in Key West last month, when they stayed at Hyatt Centric Resort and fished for two days, crushing the yellowtail snapper, a black grouper and at least one mutton snapper.
“This was one of the best trips we have had to Key West, from our rental vehicle from Enterprise and our accommodations, these two businesses made it first class for us,” Dunn said. “And the two days out on the water were amazing. We caught lots of fish and I want to give a big shout out to FishMonster Key West and Capt. Mike and Capt. Jason from Seaborn charters.”
Joey Maraffa, 14, one of Dunn’s young fishing buddies, joins him on nearly every weekend trip with Take a Kid Fishing, including the Key West adventure, a trip Dunn hopes to make a few times a year. He’s seeking volunteers and donations to make that possible.
The kids he brings are often in foster care or living without the presence of a father or father figure in their lives. Joey has been raised by his grandparents since he was an infant. He grew up fishing by himself in streams and creeks and ponds in Ohio, then Oklahoma and now in Palmetto, where his passion for fishing has only grown.
“When we lived in central Ohio, we had a stream that ran through our property,” Joey’s grandmother, Irene, told Dunn, according to the organization’s website at takffl.com. “If you were looking for him, he was in the stream. He would catch bluegill and all kinds of panfish.”
“I love fishing,” Joey said. “The excitement of when that fish is on the line and reeling it in … being out there with other people and just enjoying it all.”
Meeting Dunn has not only enriched Joey’s love for fishing, but it has also given him something he’s been missing, a father figure.
“He’s like a dad to me,” Joey said of Dunn, whose nonprofit started with a simple fishing trip with his neighbor’s son, who was being raised without a father.
Take a Kid Fishing has now provided free fishing trips for some 5,000 kids.
“It’s not just that he’s going to take him fishing,” Irene said. “Will teaches them about ecology and the environment. He encourages conversation. It’s not going to just have them sit there and look at each other; it’s a shared experience. It’s an all-around situation where the kids are enriched. We’re blessed to be around him. He’s a fine man, and he’s doing good work.”
While Joey hasn’t reeled in his dream fish yet, a tarpon, next year’s Key West trip may offer the perfect opportunity.
For more information or to donate to Take a Kid Fishing, visit takffl.com or find the organization on Facebook.
