Sad to say 4 of the people that was at 2015 event for the Disadvantaged did not survive to see 2016. Here is a few pics from this years 2016 event that I was privileged to be allowed to host.

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Note this at the 2 in this Pic had just lost the generation between them (father / Son) that was at the event with them last year. It was good to hear them laugh. That the Catfish got 2 reels on the day from the son.



This Gentleman made me laugh when said there is so many fish here that even a blind man like me can catch em.


Getting ready to feed a 100 Hotdogs and hamburgers.


This one is on Ice cream break. LOL

Tums that's amazing and made my week! What great work you are doing here, thank you for posting these photos. Provides a great example for us all on how we can provide opportunities to others who need our help. Wow - thank you for the wake-up call!

Ditto what TJ said!!!

That kid with the lime green shirt knows how to reel them in!!!

Great pics.

Teej it has been a great thing for me. Note only being involved would be great on just its on merit. But other things seem to keep coming my way since I started hosting this event. Like the aluminum benches that can be seen in the some pics. I just received a call one day from a gentleman that asked if we could use them for the event. The next thing I know here comes a crew to install 3 aluminum benches (8', 10', and 14') worth some cash were ever I want them. Not to mention the custom portable 3 stainless steel sink system for just $100. ( I will snap you a pic of it over the weekend). The week before the event I woke to the sound of a weed eater. I Walked outside and there was the guy I use to pay to weed eat around the pond doing it for free. Got a call this week wanting to know if it would be OK to come pick up my garbage cans and take them to be cleaned (DUH). Back at thanksgiving walking around Gatlinburg and I see a teenager pointing at me. Guy walks up with him and said thanks for having my little brother out fishing that is what we do together now when he is with me. Shoot I even had a man walk up to me in the last week and hand me $200 and said use it to buy some fish feed.

Esshup he was also pretty good bumping his chest after catching a fish.

Tums, that's outstanding. If even for just one day, you made these folks lives better. Very well done.

Absolutely outstanding! You have taken the spirit to a grand scale indeed! I wish my puddle was bigger so I could shadow your efforts. Well done Sir!

Hooah Tums !!!

Very awesome Tums! Good karma too, all those smiles speak volumes.

Wow, Tums it's hard to not get choked up!

It sounds like you're discovering how deep something like that goes, but behind the scenes, the stories those kids and folks are telling and the feeling they have inside and will carry with them (as well as you), in many cases goes deeper than we can imagine. And if a picture tells a thousand words, you just filled a book with no ending.

I don't know if the T-shirt this young man is wearing dons a hero of his, but note his grandpa in nearly the exact same pose!
And for just losing a son and a dad, imagine the emotions they're feeling at that moment.


Hats off to you and thank you for inspiring the rest of us.

Way to pay it forward!

My neighbor's daughter committed suicide yesterday so things here have been high on the suck train. Seeing these wonderful pictures have been a source of smiles in an otherwise tough time. GREAT pics. I'm sure being there and living it and experiencing it was 100 times better than the best pic snapped. KUDOS many times over for your generosity. I absolutely love seeing people helping others, especially when it's in the form of providing relief, cheer, or opportunity. You ever make your way to Georgia let us know.

Outstanding in every aspect! Thanks, Tums!

BL, so sorry to hear about your neighbor's daughter. My 32 year old niece, single mom to a 10 year old daughter passed away yesterday of liver failure, in only 2 weeks. A beautiful lady and horrible loss.

Being on the suck train as well, Tum's post hit me the same way.

Going back to how deep and how much of an impact a deed like Tum's post/event has.

I need to do something similar for my community. Any tips for us how to organize?

Maybe chat with your local Lions club Kawanis club or Salvation Army? I'm involved in the eye care field and those organizations will often know who in the community needs the most help.

Tums' I'm involved in an organization whose goal is to "Make a difference" for job hunters.

You've done just that.

Tums, You are a Good Man !! And thanks for sharing your story with pictures.

Tracy

Ditto on all the above. I would add many large churches would love to have the access and someone who would feed 100. Small churches would be just as thankful, I would say. We all know giving one a fish, is one thing and nothing wrong with it. As other have already said about how deep it goes, when one is taught to fish, it does truly go on forever.

Often and I have heard of it, one doing work like that saves a life,changes a life, or helps the bonding of others.

Great work and thanks for sharing.

First thanks to everyone for the kind words. Please understand that there is a lot of other people involved than just me. I simply provide the place and help organization of this event. thru generosity of others are we able to do this on a larger scale without much burden.



TeeJaeh57 , Events like this for both Hunting and fishing here are now done thru a few different of church organizations. This Particular event is with a organization Sponsored by Southside Baptist Church Brotherhood called Outdoors with Friends. While this was formed and head quartered out of a larger church (Southside Baptist) the Organization itself is comprised of people from many different churches. This was formed after noticing that local people wanted to donate / do more for local /regional participants rather than just give to the national organizations.

By setting up or using a nonprofit (such as church) to put on the event opens the door people to have tax breaks on their donations. Local business donate. Local owned Food stores donate food, Insurance company donated insurance for the event, bait and tackle store donated items, people from several different churches throw in a little cash to cover misc. needs. Volunteers from local help setup, cook, people fish, and clean up when it is over. Banners are made for the business that donate (pic of one (of a few made) attached) showing them some love. The biggest thing I would say to making it a success is people being open to anyone that has a question about what is going on and were the money goes. Funny business in this parts pretty much equals no business. I will see if I can get someone from the SBC brotherhood to send me some information to forward to you on how they done it.

In the end it is pretty easy after you get thru the initial setup and the learning curve of what works for your group. I would say that after you do a couple events it gets pretty simple. For insurance purposes have people fill out a participation form and from this you can have a data base of contacts to work with for future events participants. Volunteers are surprisingly easier to come by with people from multiple churches participating. Most participants here are generally within a 2 hr drive and volunteers within a 1 hr drive.

BTW I attached a pic of that stainless steel sink I mentioned earlier.

To those of you going thru difficult times may God be with you. My personal difficult times is what pushed me towards hosting these events.

LovinLivin thanks for pointing that out in the picture I did notice that

Tums, thanks for the inspiration. Many Blessings to you!