After a while, they seem to blend together, the faces and the smiles and the years.
Each year is the same, it seems. And that's a good thing.
I've yet to participate in the Brainerd Lakes Chapter of Fishing Has No Boundaries. Instead, each year for the past few years, I've experienced the event through the photos and the news releases the FHNB people send my way after each year's event.
Lots of pix of smiling anglers and good-sized fish. They jump right out at you.
Mostly the smiles.
The folks at FHNB tout the event as a real feel-good experience. From what I can tell, and from what I've heard, it's all that.
Smiles and nice-sized fish are the norm at the annual Brainerd Lakes Chapter of Fishing Has No Boundaries event.
The seventh annual event begins with a dinner and educational demonstrations Friday at the Confidence Learning Center. The fishing portion is scheduled Saturday on Gull and Sylvan lakes. Last I heard, volunteers and boat captains were still needed.
According to FHNB, volunteers include local fishing guides and area celebrities, but most are just regular folks who want to have a great time and make for a great experience for participants. And even though many of the volunteers participate year after year, calling it the highlight of their summer, there is always a need for more volunteers.
"Over the years, we've found that people who come to help out for an hour or two end up asking if they can stick around much longer because they are having so much fun and seeing an immediate impact of the time they've invested," said Scott Roesner, chairman of the Brainerd Lakes Chapter of the FHNB. "It really is contagious and I can't think of a better way to spend one of the last weekends of summer."
People interested in volunteering may help out for a few hours or the entire day, depending on their schedule. Those interested in volunteering should pre-register online at www.BrainerdLakesFHNB.org or contact Bob Slaybaugh at 828-2344. Area fishing guide Hank Ebert is coordinating boat captains and may be reached at (218) 963-3492.
The goal of FHNB is to provide outdoor and fishing opportunities to people with disabilities. The Brainerd Lakes Chapter of FHNB event began with 35 participants and has grown to regularly include 120 participants. A complete listing of information about this year's event may be found online at www.BrainerdLakesFHNB.org.
Oh, and photographs from last year's event - and beyond.
BRIAN S. PETERSON, outdoors editor, may be reached at brian.peterson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5864.
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