ACS Fatherhood program hooks dads, kids for fishing fun

Photo By Staci-Jill Burnley | Catching the last bit of daylight, participants at the Fatherhood Fishing Derby at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, Sept. 23, get in a few more casts before the sun goes down.  

IL, UNITED STATES

09.30.2021

Story by Staci-Jill Burnley 

U.S. Army Sustainment Command

Rock Island Arsenal, Ill. – As the sun cast its afternoon rays on Middle Park Lagoon in Bettendorf, Iowa, the air was crisp, the water was calm, and the fish were biting- the perfect setting for a special adventure set aside for military dads and their kids.

With tackle boxes and bait in hand, big and little anglers alike staked out their spots along the lagoon’s edge on Sept. 23 for the annual Rock Island Arsenal Fatherhood Fishing Derby, hosted in partnership with the RIA Army Community Services, the National Fatherhood Initiative, and the Child Abuse Council of Moline, Illinois.

The event was free and included dinner, snacks, fishing gear and bait, as well as trophies for all kids who attended.

While designed for dads, moms, grandparents and caregivers were also invited to bring their children, in the event of the father being unavailable or separated from the child due to extenuating circumstances.

The RIA Fatherhood Program was created about 20 years ago and was developed to foster the special relationship between military dads and their children, according to derby volunteer Dan Saito. It was his wife, Jan, who created the program.

Now a military retiree and an Army civilian at the U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command at RIA, Dan Saito is still involved with the fishing derby, serving as the logistical manager for the activity, which included picking up the fishing poles from Morale, Welfare and Recreation’s Outdoor Recreation office, rigging the poles with hooks and bobbers, putting the wax worm bait in cups for the kids, and assisting the participants when hooks need to be replaced or fishing reels aren’t working.

Saito’s fishing buddies for this year’s event look a little different than when he first became involved in the derby years ago. He used to cast away with his son, Sean, at the event. Now a dad himself, Sean sits back and lets Saito teach his daughters, Maile, 5, and Nalani, 3, the ways of the water and the magic of fishing.

It was that magic that drew Philip Heelan to the event with his son, Isaac, 6. While he’s taken his kids to some of the other monthly events hosted by the Fatherhood Program, this time was special.

Isaac had never been fishing before and, facing an upcoming year-long deployment with ASC, Heelan wanted to make sure his son could have the memory of catching his first fish with his dad.

Heelan thinks it will be something special for them to hold onto until he returns from deployment.

“I’m about to deploy and I have been finding ways to spend more time with both of my kids, both together and doing one-on-one time, so I thought this event was a great opportunity to spend time with Isaac and do something that he really wanted to learn,” said Heelan, “and I learned a bit about fishing also.”

Isaac agreed it was a fun outing, and admitted that, though he’d been pretending to fish off his back porch at home, the real deal was more difficult than he expected.

“It’s really hard when you have to pull the fish up – I was barely able to reel it in,” he said.

Also new this year were Anthony Patera and his son, Axel, 4. The Patera family recently arrived at the U.S. Army Contracting Command at RIA and are enjoying taking advantage of all of the programs available for families.

While new to the Fatherhood Fishing Derby, Axel is already an experienced fisherman and was proud to share his experiences of fishing with his dad.

“I’ve been fishing in Kansas, and the fish really flop around there,” he said. “I like when the bait stays on the hook, even after I catch the fish.”

Patera first heard about the Fatherhood Program when he arrived at RIA, but a gentle reminder from his wife is what prompted him to grab the tackle box and bring his son out to the event.

“I had heard about the Fatherhood Program while in-processing at RIA, but my wife is the one who heard about the fishing derby when she took our younger son to the Discovery Time Playgroup on post,” he said. “I am really enjoying spending time alone with Axel and just talking, fishing and eating.”

While Heelan and Patera were first-time attendees, Gregory Elliott and his kids Jude, 13, and Lydiana, 7, have been participating the past five years. A military dad assigned to First U.S. Army at RIA, his family takes advantage of many of the monthly events the program sponsors, with the derby being a favorite for a few reasons.

“The kids wanted another fishing trophy, and they really enjoy the cookies,” he said. “My favorite part is just spending time with them.”

For those who haven’t come out for the fishing derby, or other monthly Fatherhood programs, Saito encourages them to give one of the events a try.

“For a small installation, the RIA ACS provides exceptional programs for military families assigned to RIA and our Quad Cities Area community,” he said. “If the programs aren’t used, they aren’t funded and we lose them.”
Community partnership among military and civilian organizations are a critical element of the success for the RIA community, and the fishing derby is a prime example of that, said Saito.

“The Child Abuse Council, which is contracted to provide this activity, and all the other outstanding Fatherhood outings, do an outstanding job and come up with great events to enhance that special relationship between the dads and kids,” he added. “They organized and coordinated the event, reserved the facility, procured the bait, all the sandwiches, chips, and cookies, and the trophies for the kids.”

Elliott says the Fatherhood Program is a huge asset to military families and hopes to see more participation from other Soldiers and kids in the RIA community. Without continued support from the military families it is designed to serve and support, he fears the program will not be available to the community in the future.

“If we don’t use it, we will lose it,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of Soldiers know about the program yet, and I encourage all soldiers to come out and participate.”

For more information on the Fatherhood Program, and to find out more about upcoming events, contact RIA’s Family Advocacy Program at [phone].

• Date Taken: 09.30.2021
• Date Posted: 09.30.2021 14:16
• Story ID: 406433
• Location: IL, US