Smiles were brighter than the sun Wednesday as youths from NJ WAVE rolled into Ocean City to enjoy fishing at the Ocean City Fishing Club Pier.
WAVE, an acronym for New Jersey Wonderful Adolescent Ventilator Excursion, is a summer camp for children with medical needs such as ventilation, tracks, feeding tubes and daily care. The free camp enables the youngsters to enjoy special times at the Jersey Shore.
“We bring our group to Ocean City each year to enjoy the beach, boardwalk, fishing and other activities,” said Dr. Caitlin Papastamelos, medical director at the Voorhees Pediatric Facility, which sponsors NJ WAVE. “They’ll sit on the beach, dig in the sand, play in the water and hopefully catch some fish. The typical things people do at the shore.”
Members of the Fishing Club were on hand to cast lines from the end of the pier and help the 10 participants fish to the best of their abilities. Some were able to reel in their lines while others watched and waited for the fish to bite. All were excited when the first call of “Fish on!” rang out.
Little Mackenzi, 4, wearing a sun bonnet adorned with red white and blue starfish, was among the first to touch a sand shark brought over the pier railing by Club member Bob Dever.
“This is all about giving these kids an experience they might never have otherwise,” Dever said. “
When you see their faces light up with smiles—the excitement—there is no better reward than being a part of their day on the pier.”
This is the fifth year the Fishing Club has participated in the NJ WAVE visit to the shore. Since the camp visitors need assistance, Papastamelos had about 15 members of her team roll wheelchairs and guide those able to walk with help. Tiko Patel, one of the WAVE aides, became every bit as excited as any of the youths when a fish was reeled in.
“It’s so exciting for them,’ he said, beaming as Messiah, 10, watched another fish land on the pier. “It’s just wonderful to see how much joy this brings to the kids.”
In all about six fish were caught during the hour-long visit. One of the biggest smiles came from Maria, 23, who helped reel in her very first catch near the end of the visit.
“The best thing was catching a fish,” she exclaimed. “I want to come back again!”
“We’ll have them back again next year, too,” said OCFC President Frank Pizzutilla. “It’s so rewarding to see how much enjoyment this brings.”
The smiles continued on as the WAVE caravan rolled back down the 635-ft. pier toward the boardwalk, where lunch and the many boardwalk attractions awaited. Their first stop in Ocean City had already been a huge success.
