Visits with Other "Gone Fishin' Not Just Wishin'" Participants

EDITOR'S NOTE: Once a year, my son Hunter takes me fishing with him. I look forward to this day all year because Hunter is different from my other two children. Six months after my wife gave birth to this bright, bouncing baby boy, Hunter developed severe epilepsy. He began to spend the night in the hospital an average of two to four nights a week for the next two years and today is both physically and mentally challenged. But every year the Jefferson County School System near Birmingham, Alabama, sponsors a "Gone Fishin' Not Just Wishin'" two days of fishing for its special students, including Hunter. Here's a look at what the fishing days mean to the people involved.

* Al Redding, president of the Alabama Bass Federation, has been a part of every "Gone Fishin' Not Just Wishing'" day for the last several years. Redding says that, "Part of our mission as Bass Federation members is to help young people learn to fish and to work with charitable organizations. Our fishermen help the Make a Wish Foundation and the Children's Hospital of Birmingham and even raised $42,000 for the Echo Foundation last year.

"If anyone could come out and spend a day with these special young people, see the expressions on their faces and watch the joy that bubbles up from their hearts when they make good casts or catch fish, they'd know why all of us believe that making fishing available to special children is so important."

* Treva McDougal, adapted physical-education teacher for Jefferson County School System, developed the "Gone Fishin' Not Just Wishin'" program. McDougal remembers that, "I was driving down the road one day traveling from one school to another. The weather was beautiful, and I realized that day was one of those really good days to fish. But I knew if I went fishing, I couldn't go without the rest of the children. I decided if I wanted to go fishing, I needed to take the special children of Jefferson County with me.

"So six years ago, we developed this program with help from the Alabama Department of Conservation, Alabama Power Company, EBSCO (PRADCO), Zebco Fishing Tackle Company, the B.A.S.S. organization, Lakeshore Hospital and Coca Cola. And now, other special-education departments across Alabama have developed fishing days for their kids like we have.

"The young people in our program, grades 1 - 12, look forward to going fishing all year long. Every time I see them as I travel to and from various schools, they always ask if they're going to get to go fishing again this year. This one day is all the fishing most of these kids get to experience. And what's really sad is that because there are so many special children in Jefferson County, most of these young people only get to go fishing once every two years. We hope to grow our program and our sponsorship to help every special child fish at least one day every year."

* Amy Gilliland, member of the Hoover High School's Outdoorsmen's Club explains that, "More than 200 teenagers who hunt and fish make up the Hoover High School Outdoorsmen's Club, which is sanctioned by the school system.

"The Hoover High School Outdoorsman's Club came out and volunteered to help these special children have a good time, learn how to fish and catch fish. We had at least 50 young people volunteer to come out today and help. I think it's great that these special kids get to come and catch fish in an event like this held every year and that our club participates in it every year."

* Chris Smith, another member of the Hoover Outdoorsmen's Club, also volunteered to help the mentally, physically, emotionally and medically-challenged children of Jefferson County learn to fish. Smith, the bass-tournament coordinator for the Hoover Outdoorsmen's Club, explained, "All our members wanted to help these special kids have a good time and go fishing. The young people from our club who came last year really enjoyed themselves.

"We have two to four bass-fishing tournaments a year, and most of the members of our club can go bass fishing any time they want to go. But these kids only have one time a year that they get to go fishing. So, we wanted to help them have a good time and a great day of fishing. This event gives us a way to pay back the good times we've had from fishing by helping youngsters who can't go fishing if we don't help."

The "Gone Fishin', Not Just Wishin'" program had to overcome the hurdle of how to get enough rods, reels, lines, hooks and sinkers for thousands of children and volunteers to fish. To solve this problem, the Zebco Company stepped in and sent rods, reels and lines to make this program a reality. Other local and national sponsors volunteered time, money and personnel to help these special children have a day of fishing like other children do. If you'd like to volunteer product, money or your help for next year's "Gone Fishin' Not Just Wishin'" days in May 2001, call Wanda Westbrook or Treva McDougal at the Burkett Center in Birmingham, Alabama, (205) 379-2800; or email Treva at TMcdou5512@aol.com.

Some of these sponsors and volunteers besides parents, grandparents, teachers and support staff, included ...

* the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources -- the Enforcement Division, the State Parks Division and the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries,

* Alabama Power,

* Zebco Corporation,

* Lakeshore Foundation,

* EBSCO Industries (parent company of PRADCO),

* Syx Bait and Tackle,

* B.A.S.S. Federation,

* Coca-Cola,

* Golden Flake Products,

* Lee and Martha Humber and friends,

* Alagasco,

* Waste Management of Alabama,

* Jefferson State Occupational Therapy Assistant Program,

* Jefferson State Physical Therapy Assistant Program,

* Dairy Queen in Pelham, Alabama,

* Lowe-Go Sportswear,

* Ken's Bar-B-Que,

* Pelham Police and Fire Departments,

* Kimberly Clark,

* Disabled Sportsmen of Alabama,

* Steve Staggs,

* Jefferson County Schools -- transportation and special education departments,

* Outdoorsmen's Club from Hoover High School, Hoover, Alabama,

* Phil King, who owns the Little Catman Fishing Service in Corinth, Mississippi, and provided the catfish fillets volunteers cooked to give the children the chance to taste freshly-caught and cooked fish. Also King's clients and friends pitched in the catfish they caught: Donnie R. Hall of Nashville, TN; Jeff Cregeen and James Chappell of Corinth, MS; Ward Johnson of Tampa, FL; Charles Day of Tallahassee, FL; Grant L. Lewis of Tishomingo, MS; and Matt Holmes of Ohio.

Tomorrow: Others Explain What The "Gone Fishin' Not Just Wishin'" Days Mean To Them