Future Fisherman Foundation Goes Extreme

It's so hard to keep a secret. But the Future Fisherman Foundation and our many partners have done a great job keeping a secret that is now known by more than 15 million viewers across the nation. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition asked for the Foundation's help to provide a wide array of fishing tackle and accessories for Emmanuel Holmes, a 13 year old boy whose family has fallen on hard times.

I assumed, as I traveled to Altamone Springs, just north of Orlando, Florida, that I would simply provide the show with the equipment they requested. What I didn't know is that I would soon be involved in a life-changing experience.

ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is one of the most popular programs on television with viewers that number in the many millions. Viewers tune in on Sunday nights to watch Ty Pennington and crew change the lives of a well deserving family by rebuilding and refurnishing their homes. In our episode, it was Sadie Holmes and her family. Sadie is a former drug addict and operator of a non-profit organization that distributes clothes and other goods to underprivileged families all around Orlando. She and her children lost their home two times; once to Hurricane Charley and later to an electrical fire. According to her sister, Sadie didn't even ask the show for a new house. All she wanted was a distribution center to continue to run her agency and to continue to help those in need.

Jesse Simpkins, Chair of the F3 Board of Director poses with Mike Bolinder

One of Sadie's sons, Emmanuel, is an avid angler. The show came to the Future Fisherman Foundation and asked for our help in outfitting the boy. Knowing how generous the tackle industry is, we agreed to help and gathered donations from Plano Molding Company, Plano, Ill.; Rapala USA, Minnetonka, Minn.; Zebco/WCB, Tulsa, Oka.; Shimano American Corporation, Irvine, Cal.; TTI-Blakemore Fishing Group, Wetumpka, Ala.; G. Loomis, Woodland, Wash.; Strike King Lure Company, Collierville, Tenn.; Pure Fishing, Spirit Lake, Iowa,; Lurenet.com, Fort Smith, Ark.; AFTCO- Blue water, Irvine, Cal.; Guy Harvey Enterprises, Davie, Fla. and West Marine Group, Watsonville, Cal.

When I came on site, the crew quickly replaced my fishing rods with a paintbrush. It was a Thursday morning and the family was due home Friday. I looked around at an unfurnished, unpainted house missing countertops, appliances, and in dire need of a lot of finishing work. "No way," I thought, as I started applying seafoam green paint on the walls of Emmanuel's bedroom. "There is no way this place will be ready by Friday."

We worked. And worked. And worked some more. I hardly looked up when the starters from the Orlando Magic rolled in with basketballs and official team equipment. I didn't really notice when host Ty Pennington was shouting in my face with a megaphone. At some point around 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. we carried a 12 foot catfish into the bedroom. One of the producers dragged me across the street to the on-site coffee kiosk at around 4:00 a.m. for a much needed caffeine break. I left the house at 6:30 a.m. after working all night, drove to my hotel, took a 20 minute nap and was back at the house for the final push to finish the house before Sadie and her family arrived.

Fishing is as much lifestyle as it is an activity. It's something that individuals and families can do their entire lives. As soon as a child possesses the manual dexterity to hold a rod, he or she can go fishing. My father's late fishing buddy, Lars Pearson, fished until the very last week of his life. People connect with their environment, their families and their friends while fishing. Fishing is not just recreation; it's a holistic experience that teaches lessons such as patience and perseverance that are applicable to all aspects of life. The opportunity to enhance the fishing experience for Emmanuel and his family, is one that the foundation is happy, and humbled, play a part.

In the end, hundreds of exhausted, but excited volunteers lined the front lawn of the new home that was completed just moments before the Holmes family arrived. The busses parted and we all cheered as the well-deserving Holmes family walked into their new abode.

We all took away more than we gave. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition didn't just build a new house for young Emmanuel and his family, they built a new home. The Future Fisherman Foundation didn't just help Emmanuel Holmes with his hobby, we equipped him to live out his passion for fishing.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. The series is executive-produced by Tom Forman. The show airs Sundays (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Future Fisherman Foundation Goes Extreme

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