Councilman Stephen R. Shelley, a member of the Board of Directors of the Youth Fishing Foundation, participated in this year’s Christmas Fishing Tournament held at Bayfront Park on Biscayne Bay National Park, December 8, 2012. The event offers underprivileged children a day of fishing and learning about South Florida’s marine environment.
This year’s 17th annual event hosted over 250 children, each of them received a free rod and reel and participated in knot tying, casting, and fish identification classes. Once prepared, the children used bait provided by the Youth Fishing Foundation and were able to fish a variety of marine life including pinfish, barracuda, jacks, and grunts. Santa Claus was also present at this fun educational day! He gave each kid a Christmas toy and shared hot dogs and drinks with them during the lunch hour.
“I am always very proud to participate in this event because it provides a child with a gift he will always have: knowledge about our unique South Florida marine environment and fishing, a healthy activity that he or she could always do,” said Councilman Shelley. “A child will never forget his first time fishing, and experiencing that with them is a gift I will never forget.”.”
Youth Fishing Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit, registered 501 (C) (3) Florida corporation dedicated to introducing any needy child the experience of fishing. Simply put, we place a free rod & reel with bait into the hands of thousands of children at scheduled yearly events. These events are usually held on Saturdays when both parents and children can come to enjoy a day of fishing with free lunch and prizes.
