This trailer was parked along College Drive this week to remind residents of the Fishing Has No Boundaries pancake and sausage fundraiser to be held Sunday, Feb. 25 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the KC Hall in downtown Devils Lake.
We, who call Devils Lake home, see fishermen and women come and go. It’s a common sight for us living near one of the outstanding walleye fisheries in the country. Leland “Buck” Hamre echoes the statement, “Most of us think that going fishing is as easy as a walk down to the lake… but for over 56 million Americans with disabilities, it’s just not that simple.”
This Sunday we have an opportunity to help our friends, neighbors and relatives with disabilities enjoy a weekend of fishing this coming summer by supporting the Devils Lake Chapter of Fishing Has No Boundaries pancake and sausage breakfast from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the KC Hall. For a mere $8 per person, with ages 5 and under eating for free, you can help this worthy cause.
If you can, bring a little extra to add as your donation, perhaps, or even better, volunteer to help with the event, itself. If you have a boat or pontoon to share with the many participants who are eager for a day on the lake, let Hamre know 701-739-9266. In the past, some who wanted to participate had to be turned away because there weren’t enough boats or pontoons available. Maybe the summer of 2024 will be the year no one is turned away!
Hamre and his group provide a fun two-day fishing experience that may just be the experience of a lifetime for an indivdual with disabilities. This year’s Fishing Has No Boundaries weekend will take place on July 13 and 14. It is the 16th year they’ve offered this experience and interest just grows and grows. Hamre says it would have been the 17th year if it hadn’t been for Covid-19.
According to the brochure, Fishing Has No Boundaries provides an event t-shirt for each participant, participation awards, a light continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday (rolls and coffee or water), lunch and dinner on Saturday, lunch on Sunday, onsite and on-water medical personnel, safe ramps and docks and accessible portable lavatories.
Each participant is provided with a list of items they need to bring for their own comfort and safety, including a North Dakota fishing license.
The Spirit Lake Casino and Resort, 8 miles south of Devils Lake, hosts the event. Saturday’s schedule begins at 8 a.m. with participant registration by the ramp in the Spirit Lake Marina. Fishing on the lake is from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with a sack lunch and bathroom break between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. More fishing continues from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the lake ending the day with a grill out under the tents on shore.
Sunday’s schedule begins at 8 a.m. loading the boats and pontoons again (of course, weather permitting), fishing on the lake from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. then a fish fry with awards at 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. No alcohol or recreational chemical substances are permitted at the event.
If you know someone who may want to experience this fishing weekend as a participant or to volunteer to help in any way, contact Hamre, but in the meantime, Sunday’s fundraiser, Feb. 25 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. is a way you can help Fishing Has No Boundaries, no matter what. See you there!
