FFK 2023 was a huge success.
Thank you to everyone who participated!
From the Variety Club of Philadelphia:
Commodores, Vice Commodores and other Members of OCYC and OC Marlin and Tuna Club, Sending you a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the June Fishing for Kids day so special! All of the families had positive feedback, and we are grateful for your generosity. I pasted below a few quotes from some families to share with you. Please know you have made a difference!
Thank you again!
Dominique Bernardo | Chief Executive Officer | Variety – the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley
This was a lovely and generous event for our family. My children have never been on a boat before and they had a wonderful experience! We can't thank our hosts Joe and his son Joey enough for volunteering their time and resources to make the day so special and helping create found family memories! Unfortunately, not everyone is kind or understanding of my son but their patience and kindness towards both of our children warmed our hearts.
--Miller Family
This was an incredible opportunity for my family. It is very rare to find an activity that both accommodates my special needs child and provides a new and exciting experience for her three siblings. The time together as a family is rare and invaluable and we cannot thank you enough!
--Thomas Family
We are so grateful to have been a part of the Fishing Event! Our entire group had such a wonderful time. We had the best Captain and First Mate (Don and Barbara) who were so kind and hospitable. Brooke enjoyed the boat ride more than the actual fishing, lol. We did manage to catch one small flounder (that we didn't keep). It was such a nice day for our family, and we are so thankful to all the volunteers that made it happen. We are looking forward to hopefully participating again next year.
--Augustin Family
Just wanted to say thank you again to Variety, and both Yacht Clubs that participated. My son, and my family had a great time. It is so important for our children to get as much exposure to new things as possible and this event was so well put together.
--Coleman Family
Annual Event Information:
Each year, we invite families from 3 charitable organizations in the area.
Big Brothers / Big Sisters of SJ
The Variety Club of Phila. The Variety Club is a large charity in Phila that has a campus in the suburbs that runs summer camps for kids with disabilities
The Challenge League of Fort Washington PA (they are a little league for kids with disabilities
Overall, we have about 130 people attend.
The event is run by the OC Yacht Club and the OC Marlin and Tuna Club. We share equally in the responsibilities of hosting the event.
OCM&TC handles the on the water activities
OCYC handles the on shore activities
Members of the 2 clubs donate their time and their boats to take the families out fishing on the waters around OC. There are about 25 fishing boats that participate ranging from a 50 foot sportfishing boat to 21 foot center consoles.
Purpose:
The purpose of the event is to add some joy to these families who, through no fault of their own, have been dealt a tough hand. Having a child with a disability is difficult for the parents and the siblings and we hope that a carefree day of fishing in these beautiful boats on the beautiful OC bay with a captain and crew who are there to see the families have a good time will not only be a fun way to spend a day but also to create a lasting memory for all.
It is also a way for the members of both clubs to give back a little of the good fortune that they have been blessed with.
A secondary benefit of the event is for the community at large to see that these clubs have members who care around those around them.
A third benefit is to remind the members of both clubs how lucky they are and encourage them to give back.
