We are in desparate need of boater volunteers for Fish-n-Friends July 26

[djkimmel]

I know gas prices are ridiculously brutal and time is precious. That just makes it more important to give some time back even if it is just one day - to help others less fortunate than ourselves. Every year, some of us give a part of a day to the kids from Crossroads for Youth in Oxford MI to take them out fishing.

We (Fish-n-Friends headed by Anthony Adams) are doing this again this summer on Saturday July 26 at Lake Orion. Please consider volunteering as a boater to take a kid or two out with chaperone in many cases from Crossroads for Youth.

Every year, a group of the kids earn this trip as a privilege to do something that brightens up their life for a day. Some have fished before and some never have. Crossroads staff and volunteers will also be helping out and going out with some of us.

We will provide most of the kids' equipment - life jackets, rod/reel, some tackle. We raise the funds and get the donations to do this. You just need to provide yourself and a boat on Saturday July 26 by 7 AM at the MDNR ramp on Lake Orion. PLEASE help - we need about 30 boats total to take out all the deserving kids!!! See the youth fishing board for more details.

Please, please contact me on here or by phone 517-882-8902 (leave a message) or by email - youth at greatlakesbass dot com to help out. THANK YOU!!

Crossroads for Youth in Oxford MI - Every Child Deserves a Chance

[Anthony Adams]

I am shocked were having such a difficult time getting the boats needed this year.

I want everyone to understand that you dont have to have a bass boat. Just a safe boat to take some children fishing in.

Please contact us if your available on Saturday and would like to help out with a worth while cause.

586-202-3594

[Durand Dan]

I am shocked were having such a difficult time getting the boats needed this year.

I want everyone to understand that you dont have to have a bass boat. Just a safe boat to take some children fishing in.

Please contact us if your available on Saturday and would like to help out with a worth while cause.

586-202-3594

Anthony,

As you know I have committed to being there on Sat. This will be my first time volunteering for your yearly gathering and I am looking forward to it. In the past I had thought long and hard about contributing but had always felt guilty that I should be spending time with my family rather than kids I don't know. This year I decided that most of the children you are dealing with most likely don't get a chance to have a father/grandfather take them out to enjoy a day of fishing. I can remember my son and grandson as they hooked their first bass and struggled to pull it in. It was an amazing experience. Hopefully I can provide that experience to someone and create a lifelong memory for them. If anyone out there can lend a few hours Sat. it will really help Dan Kimmel, Anthony Adams and a boatload (hopefully) of children.

[djkimmel]

Thank you so much Dan. This is some of these kids only chance to get out on the lake in boat. Some may be doing so for the first time.

We are providing everything the kids need. We just need you and your boat. I already know you will all be awesome role models for the kids - something this kids can always use more of.

I want to say that in the past few days, so many of you have contacted us to help out that we are at our bare minimum for the minimum number of kids as of today. We will have to leave some deserving kids on shore unfortunately, but we should be able to get about 30 kids out between the larger boats and a couple pontoons we have for kids who are a little less confident being on the water.

We have several great prizes for the boaters - not enough for everyone unfortunately, but all boaters will be put in for the prizes. We are giving them away at the lunch banquet, but you don't have to be present to win. If necessary, we will get your prize to you.

I know we have a Garmin NUVI 200 courtesy of slipkey and EZODs.com as the top prize with 2 very nice top end Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris rods for other major prizes.

To those of you who are already donating your valuable time, Anthony and I (and the kids) thank you from the bottom of our hearts. There's still time for a couple more boaters to sign so we can get all of the kids out.

[Durand Dan]

Well it takes place in the morning. Hopefully there will be a great turnout!! The weather is cooperating and you can't beat the price. See you early!!

[yukonjack2]

Count me in.

Boat is back and the new motor is a beautiful thing. 

See ya'll there bright and early.

[Bender]

I've looked around but I can't find a map of where the boat launch is. Please let me know or give me GPS coordinates. Thanks and see you in the morning!

[Durand Dan]

This should get you close

42 47'26.76'N 83 15'11.24"W

Take Indianwood road west off of M-24

[live2fish]

I wish this had been on a different date, I have tried to help out one way or another each year for this is a good thing you guys are doing, but because of the confict in the dates I could not make it. Hope you guys put it on a better date next year and I will be there with a couple of boaters.

Barry N.   

[motocross269]

Count me in.

Boat is back and the new motor is a beautiful thing. 

See ya'll there bright and early.

Jack, What did you get??? Etec???..

[djkimmel]

Thanks to all the great people who showed up to volunteer. We got 30 kids out fishing, many who have never or rarely fish. Quite a few who have never been in a boat (both of my riders). If you could be there at the luncheon and hear a few of those kids talk about their day, you would definitely volunteer too! There's always more tournaments, but only one day to make this difference.

[dartag]

Dan and Anthony.

Please post the date earlier next year.  I didn't see it until last week.  i guess it was out there earlier.  i had plans we could not change.  sorry about not being there. 

steve smith
commerce, mi

[djkimmel]

Always watch the forum calendar - I had it on their posted months ago. Must be not many people watch the news fader when they first come into the forum - it was on their for about 2 months.

I'll send out more email earlier next year, but nowadays, everytime I turn around, someone is accusing me of spam and I have trouble getting out email. So I try to be careful with email to numbers of people.

[bigjc]

Dan & Anthony,

If it were me, I would move an event like this to May, during the catch and release season.  That would free up alot more guys, who have conflicting schedules during our (way too short) tournament season.  I would love to have been able to be there, but I had an FOM event.  Just a thought.

God bless you guys for putting on such an event.

JC

[djkimmel]

We've talked about that option. It seems there is no ideal time in our shorter warm year. We've tried to avoid tournaments in the past... but there are a lot of tournaments. We'll see what we can do next year.