By John Hoffman
On Thursday June 25th, 2015, The Fishing Academy hosted their 9th Annual “Safe Summer Kickoff ” Fishing event for inner city kids at the Boston Harbor Shipyard Marina in East Boston. Over 60 kids from various neighborhoods were treated to a day of fishing with charter captains from the Boston Harbor. The event also featured a cookout, awards ceremony and anti-drug, alcohol and violence lectures by police officers from the hit television show Boston’s Finest.
This year’s kickoff was sponsored by Massport, Harborfuels, Jim’s Deli Restaurant, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation. The groups participating were the Youth Enrichment Services, Massachusetts Special Olympics and the Vine Street, Tobin and Jackson Mann Community Centers from Boston Centers of Youth and Families. The kids all caught striped bass, flounder and black sea bass fishing with charter boats – the Skip-A-Dory, Karma, Go Fish, Fishhawk, Linda Rose, Contender, Forecast and the Belle.
The largest striped bass was caught by Tiger Wright aboard the Skip-A-Dory and he was presented with the Dennis “DJ” Simmonds award by the Boston Police Gang Unit Officers. Simmonds passed away last year after sustaining injuries in the Boston Marathon Bombing. Will Denker won the largest flounder category aboard the Contender. Boston Police Officer Manny Canuto and other Gang Unit members talked to the kids about making good choices and teaching them about the resources that are available to them through the Boston Police Department.
“My kids look forward to this event every year” said Al Smith a Youth Counselor with the Vine Street Community Center in Roxbury. “Our kids feel very fortunate to get out fishing and traveling to beautiful places with The Fishing Academy each summer, it’s a safe, challenging and fun trip every time we go.”
The cookout was provided by chefs Bill Martin and Jane McHale and the staff at the Boston Harbor Shipyard Marina did a great job getting the boats in and off the docks safely. Thanks to all of the captains who stepped up once again to give these kids an experience they won’t soon forget (Chuck DiStefano, Skip DiStefano, Ernie Sordillo, Brian Denker, Charlie Gibbons, Pat Helsingius and John Domings). These captains are the type of people who help The Fishing Academy bring new generations of anglers to this great sport.