POLK COUNTY, Fla. —
Polk County resident William Dunn is dedicated to helping kids get a chance to go fishing. It’s something he does all year, but especially this year for Christmas.
Dunn spent countless hours traveling from home to home to hand out fishing gear to underserved kids. He was able to purchase the gear because of a generous donation to his Take a Kid Fishing nonprofit. Dunn hoped to reach more than 200 children.
“There is so much tackle in here, the boys are going to love it,” Dunn said as he went through the fishing gear in his pickup. In this case, he was preparing to deliver it to Elissa Staff’s boys.
“That’s for you, Jacob. And here’s a spin rod and reel combo for you guys,” said Dunn.
“This is awesome,” Staff said as she watched Dunn hand out the gear. “He is sharing his joy and sharing love.”
Dunn said he got his love of fishing from his father, Joe. They started fishing together in Miami when Dunn was a boy, and they continued fishing together until his father died several years ago.
Dunn regularly takes groups of kids on fishing outings, sometimes for freshwater fishing and sometimes offshore.
“It just gives them patience,” said Dunn. “It gets them outdoors and off the computer and off the tablets and phones. I can get them out about 5 miles offshore where there is no phone service, and all they have is a fishing rod in their hand and the joy for the day catching fish.”
Dunn conducts an annual fishing event for kids with Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
Dunn also delivered fishing gear to Hanna Collier’s boys. She was dealing with a serious autoimmune disorder, and said the Christmas gifts were a blessing.
“And when I got sick, we couldn’t do these things anymore,” she said. “Then somebody giving me this is a big blessing right now.”
“This is pretty much my ministry on the weekends with these kids,” said Dunn, who has a full-time job as a tire salesman. “Taking them out and showing them life skills. That there are still people out here who still care and want to spend time with them.”
Source: baynews9.com
