The Gilroy Sportsman Chefs hosted the 20th annual Fishability
Day at Hilltop Springs ranch east of Gilroy Saturday. The club
provides an opportunity for special needs individuals to spend the
day fishing. Gilroy Sportsman Chefs is a local men’s organization
whose primary mission is hosting this annual event.
The Gilroy Sportsman Chefs hosted the 20th annual Fishability Day at Hilltop Springs ranch east of Gilroy Saturday. The club provides an opportunity for special needs individuals to spend the day fishing. Gilroy Sportsman Chefs is a local men’s organization whose primary mission is hosting this annual event.
The Gilroy Community services department worked in conjunction with the club and registered more than 110 participants. Most of the participants are highly functional autistic and Down syndrome patients from the city’s program or local group homes. According to Sandra Sammut, director of recreational services, many of the anglers come every year and look forward to the event with anxious anticipation.
The anglers begin arriving at 8 a.m. and all were provided a trophy and T-shirt in a tote bag to commemorate the day. The catch was theirs to keep and was cleaned and iced.
A lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs was provided for everyone at the lake. Throughout the morning there were as many as 100 people fishing and many more just relaxing and enjoying the idyllic setting. The morning was punctuated by screams of joy as fish were caught. Big or small, the thrill of catching a fish was reflected in the smiles of the participants.
