Page 101 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2023

Twice a year, Mississippi Gulf Coast Buddy Sports holds events to bring children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other special needs fishing.
For the Fishing With Buddies program, charter captains and private individuals provide the boats and expertise to give participants a day of enjoyment on the water. A family member or volunteer helps assist the participants with special needs. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources sends out a boat to keep everyone safe.
“We do one event in the spring in Gulfport Harbor and one in the fall in Pass Christian Harbor,” says Mike Crawford, founder and director of Mississippi Gulf Coast Buddy Sports. “Participants age from five years old to senior citizens. A wide range of people participate.”
In the spring event in Gulfport, Scott Simpson with Impulsive Charters secures captains and volunteers. Ronnie Daniels with Fisher-Man Guide Services runs the fall event. Besides licensed charter captains, private citizens who just like to fish also volunteer to help.
“We’ll take out as many people as we can fit into the available boats,” Crawford says. “We’ll fish for anything that bites.
We’ll use fresh dead bait donated by local bait dealers. The participants get a big smile on their faces when they catch something, no matter what it is.”
The fall event runs out of Shaggy’s Pass Harbor restaurant in Pass Christian Harbor. After everyone returns from fishing, Shaggy’s puts on a buffet for everyone involved. The Coastal Conservation Association donates rods to the participants.
“I was invited to participate in Gulfport a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with the participants,” Daniels recalls. “It
was a really good experience. I asked them if they would be interested in letting us host one of their events at Shaggy’s in Pass Christian. Of course, they were very excited about doing that. Shaggy’s and the captains in that harbor were also excited. It was a great event for everyone.”
The participants come from about 200 families involved with the Buddy Sports programs, which also holds events in various other sports including baseball and horseback riding. Crawfords informs them of the opportunities. Anyone who wants to participate can sign up.
Fishing With Buddies holds two events each year. For each event, boat size determines how many people a captain can take fishing, usually about two to four people per boat. During the spring 2023 event out of Gulfport, 32 participants fished in 17 boats. During the October 2023 event out of Pass Christian, 38 people participated in 20 boats ranging in size from 21-foot bay boats to 42-foot cruisers. Some participants had limited fishing experience, but most never fished before.
“When they catch a fish, their whole face lights up,” Daniels says. “It doesn’t matter what kind of fish it is. Some of the kids are just excited to drive around in the boats and wave at people. As much as the participants get out of this program, the captains and volunteers get a lot more. Every person who helps will
leave feeling a whole lot better than when they arrived. It’s just amazing to see the excitement on the faces of the participants over every little thing that happens that day. They love every single minute of it.”
For more information or to volunteer, call 228.860.9055. Online, visit www.msgulfcoastbuddysports.org. or check out their Facebook page.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
December 2023 | 101