William Dunn, a fisherman from Lakeland, Florida, became a beloved father figure in his town after taking kids fishing. One day, he noticed his 8-year-old neighbor constantly storming in and out of his home. Dunn repeated this behavior so often that the 57-year-old decided to approach him. Dunn wanted to know about his life and if he could help in some way. After talking with the boy, he discovered that he had no father figure in his life. At that moment, Dunn felt awful about the boy’s situation and wanted to do something for him. He grew up fishing with his dad and had many life-changing experiences on the water. So, Dunn thought about taking the boy fishing to instill a sense of confidence and clear his head.
“Fishing always brought me peace, and it taught me how to be patient,” he explained in an interview with The Washington Post. “When you’re on the water, you can forget about your problems and just appreciate the moment.”
After getting the green light from the boy’s mother, the father figure began taking him fishing on the weekends. One day, the boy decided to bring his friends along for the ride. Pretty soon, all the kids in the neighborhood wanted to learn how to fish, too. Dunn taught them everything he knew about fishing, from rigging the line to reeling in their catches.
What began as a weekend tradition fifteen years ago expanded into something much bigger. Now, the kind-hearted man takes groups of children out on the water every weekend. Many of them don’t have stable father figures in their lives to support them.
Some spent years moving from one foster home to another and desperately needed a mentor. Fishing with Dunn allowed the children to build resiliency while fostering a sense of community.
The Beloved Father Figure Helps Children Heal Through Fishing
“They’d been through a lot, and they’d seen a lot, and their lives were difficult. But when they were fishing, all of that faded away,” he said. “Out on the boat, they’d be laughing and smiling and making new friends. I knew I was on to something.”
The selfless father figure enjoyed doing something to brighten the children’s lives. To fund the fishing adventures, he spent large portions of his paychecks from his job as a tire salesman. He didn’t mind spending his own money to help the children.
But, in 2018, he decided to launch a nonprofit in Lakeland called Take a Kid Fishing Inc. The city offers the perfect fishing place, with dozens of lakes between Tampa and Orlando. The public and private donations would allow him to take more kids out on fishing trips. Now, he takes up to 20 kids at a time deep-sea fishing in addition to smaller groups on charter boats.
Over the past few years, the father figure and volunteers have taken over 2,500 kids fishing. Many didn’t have fathers in their lives and suffered trauma. However, the calming waters allowed them to decompress and live in the moment. It gave them a respite from their worries while also introducing them to the excitement of catching fish.
Dunn earned the loving nickname “Big Will” from the children who accompanied him on fishing expeditions. He said he felt grateful to have a dad …
