National Wild Turkey Federation to host fishing event Saturday for the physically challenged

Of the nine people who participated in the Wheeling Sportsmen fishing excursion last year in Rogers City, eight had never been out on Lake Huron or had caught fish before. From the group there was 12-year-old boy who couldn?t have been more excited about the salmon he reeled in. When the fish was brought on board, the young man asked for a cell phone so he could call organizer Damon Hastings. ?He called us immediately?and said, ?hey guys, I caught a fish and it was about 50 pounds!? ? recalled Hastings. While the weight of the fish was more like eight pounds, it felt like a monster catch to this young angler. This story is an example of why the National Wild Turkey Federation supports the event in Rogers City. Hastings and his wife are both physical therapists working in Rogers City for Alpena Regional Medical Center. They took the initiative to start a program through the local NWTF for people with physical disabilities.

?BEING PHYSICAL therapists, we were interested in helping out,? said Hastings. ?Unfortunately, there was nothing in the area that had been started. We get individuals with physical disabilities back into outdoor activities, whether it be fishing or hunting.? The conditions of the people the sportsmen take on the lake vary from those inflicted with Cerebral Palsy, bone conditions, or others who are wheel chair-bound. ?I love the outdoors, and I?m into physical therapy, so I help people with disabilities every day,? said Hastings. ?What better thing to do than a job you enjoy, and a hobby you enjoy?? There are three chapters of the NWTF involved in 2005, which include Rogers City, Black Lake, and Cheboygan. Organizers will take the anglers out on Lake Huron Saturday. Inclement weather would move the event to Sunday. Boats will be in at 1 p.m. Participants will receive T-shirts and pictures of their fish, framed before they leave the Rogers City Marina.

HASTINGS SAID the community has become more and more supportive as the program continues to grow. ?Hopefully we can have a good event again this

year. One of the big successes of this is getting the community involved. All these people going out on these boats have donated time and fuel,? said Hastings. But value can?t be placed on the enjoyment that is felt by the boat captains when participants are able to catch a salmon. The weight range of the fish was between four and 18 pounds in 2004. Last year?s fishing trips, as well as the inaugural event, were able to bring two residents of Tendercare on Lake Huron. ?We do pay for liability insurance for them, just in case something happens, and there?s a trained medical professional on the boat,? said Hastings.

?We get a lot people who like outdoor activities who, maybe because of their disability, do not think that they can get out anymore. So, we show them that they still can get out with a few adaptations.? Hasting said he has a grandfather who doesn?t want to hunt anymore because of the physical limitations his age creates. Hastings believes, with the help of others, ?there?s always a way.?

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