PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — It may be easy to take something like fishing for granted, but one nonprofit turns it into an experience.
Billy Kosak doesn't let early-onset Alzheimer's and a learning disability define him. He's a fisherman at heart, and thanks to a nonprofit called Fishing Has No Boundaries, he got the chance to prove it on the waters of the Pueblo Reservoir.
Dan Saldana, a volunteer with Fishing Has No Boundaries, guided the outing. The organization gives disadvantaged individuals the chance to fish and is run entirely by volunteers.
"My children are all disabled, so... that's where it got started for me. We're all volunteers, the whole organization, and it's just so nice to be able to give back to the community," said Saldana.
For Kosak, the day carried deep personal meaning. He lives in a nursing home, and the one constant he has held onto is his tackle box.
"He's in a nursing home since my mom died, and the one thing Billy has kept is that tackle box, and I was cleaning his room the other day, and I thought that was something I wanted to give Billy," says Billy’s sister, Theresa Kosak.
Out on the water, Billy Kosak was patient, at peace, and ready to seize the moment, reeling in a bass and making memories along the way.
The catch brought emotion to the surface for those around Billy Kosak, not just the man himself.
"This is like, more emotional, probably for me. Billy's overjoyed, but it just fulfills a promise that we made to our mom to take care of Billy," said Theresa Kosak.
It wasn't the last fish Billy Kosak caught that day. When asked if he'd kiss another one for good luck, he had a quick answer.
"Oh no, not today!" said Billy Kosak.
By the end of the trip, Billy Kosak made clear what the day meant to him.
"This is really special to me, Dan," said Billy Kosak.
It was a day Billy Kosak will treasure for as long as he's able to.
Fishing Has No Boundaries has an upcoming event where they take families out for a day of fishing. To learn more and sign up for the event, click here.
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