Two More Share Their Fishing Enthusiasm

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 Fishing 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.

* Jeff Otwell, an engineer for Alabama Power, and his brother have fished with my son Hunter for the past three years. "One of the main reasons we come out is that every year we get a blessing from Hunter," Otwell explained. "Hunter puts his hands on my head like he puts them on his head when he's saying the blessing. His mother has explained to us that this is the way Hunter blesses people and that when he talked that's what he said. I knew he was blessing us when he came fishing with us, but I didn't know that he knew that he was blessing us until his mother told us. Each year we put our hands on Hunter's head and want him to be blessed too.

"Alabama Power saw an opportunity to help the community by participating in this 'Gone Fishin' Not Just Wishin'' program, and they also saw an opportunity for their employees to volunteer and help serve the community. All of us who come out to help the special children always receive more than we give. We really enjoy the 'Gone Fishin' Not Just Wishin'' program, and we know that anyone who volunteers for a program like this will come back again and again."

Phillip Jarvis, who goes to the Burkett Center in Birmingham, Alabama, caught a nice bass and said, "This is fun. This is just really, really fun. I like to go fishing."

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.

To learn how you and the people in your area can work with your school system and the special children in your region to develop a "Gone Fishin' Not Just Wishin'" program, contact Treva McDougal or Wanda Westbrook at the Burkett Center in Birmingham at (205) 379-2800. Or, write Treva McDougal at 2232 Larkspur Drive, Hoover, AL 35226; or email her at TMMcdou5512@aol.com.