Florida Man Takes Kids Without Fathers On Fishing Trips

His nonprofit "Take a Kid Fishing Inc." is uplifting kids, one fish at a time

Take a Kid Fishing Inc.

William Dunn, a man who was born and raised in Miami, had a rough childhood. He grew up on boats because his father ran a lobster business off the coast of Florida. For Dunn, fishing has always been an escape. A few years ago, he got a calling - fishing had helped him get through his hard times so he wanted to give back to kids who were struggling in foster care, or those who were just having a hard time without a father figure in their lives.

Dunn explained in the video below, "I knew how special it was when my dad took me, just being out on the water is like being out on another world. I can't explain it." A rough life in Miami as a bouncer at clubs had Dunn, at times, fighting for his life.

"I worked in a lot of bars as a bouncer, I got shot, struck by lightning, bit by a rattlesnake, and divorced," he said in the video below. "I just decided that it was time for me to change my life around, start helping others, and living right."

That's when Dunn got the idea to help kids get in touch with themselves through life out on the water. One day, he asked his neighbor if he could take her kid fishing. He knew that he had been struggling in school, fighting, and getting poor grades, and he thought that maybe he could lend a hand, show some kindness, and help him improve in school and in life.

Almost immediately, this child started doing better in school, communicating better, and working harder to get along with his family. The trips out on the boat were changing his life.

That's when Dunn decided to extend this kindness to all kinds of kids who are struggling, and so, Take a Kid Fishing Inc. was born.

Since 2005, William Dunn has taken over 1500 kids fishing on his boat, at lakes around Florida, and anywhere where he could make a difference.

"A lot of them have never been on the water before, never held a fishing rod, never caught a fish, and it blesses me every day that I can wake up every morning at 54 years old and be able to take these kids out and show them life experience and show them that somebody loves them," Dunn explained in the video below.

View the full video below and check out Take a Kid Fishing Inc. at this link.

Watch the full video below: