ORLANDO, Fla. — When Douglas Sauls and others in the 13-member Seminole Bass Anglers Club began planning A Day on the Lake for Autism Awareness in fall 2009, their primary concern was that they plan and execute in a professional manner. They knew they had much to learn about autism and how to deal with children who have the disorder before they could take them fishing on the Butler Chain in April.
“We wanted to keep it simple and do it right,” Sauls said. “But we weren’t thinking about how the day would affect the kids.
“Then, on the day of the event, when we were waiting for people to arrive, reality started to set in, and we realized that not only nine kids were coming, but their families and guardians too. What we were planning to do would affect many people.”
Thirty-five, to be exact.
And just as club members hadn’t thought about how their event would affect others, they hadn’t thought about how profoundly they would be impacted in the aftermath.
“We hadn’t even left the venue [Orange County Sportsman’s Association pavilion] when we started talking about next year’s event,” Sauls said. “Everyone had a wonderful day, and these kids just lit up.”
So did their parents. One father stood up on the stern of a boat and proclaimed to the world, “I’ve got a son who is a fisherman!”
At the end of the day, the mother of one autistic child expressed her deep appreciation.
“She said no one does this type of thing for them,” Sauls said. “She wasn’t saying that others aren’t helping them. But this day provided such a level of relief for the parents and their kids alike. They could relax, take photos and laugh.”
Sauls credits CARD (Center for Autism & Related Disorders) and PALS (Providing Autism Links & Supports) with helping make the day a success, along with Total Mobility & Modification Services, which donated the food for lunch.
He encourages other clubs to sponsor similar events. “The first step is to partner with groups like CARD and PALS,” said Sauls.
“Any club could organize something like this and get the satisfaction back from doing something for these people that doesn’t otherwise exist. It’s tremendously rewarding and not that.
