Havasu charities benefit from day on the lake

Charitable giving is alive and well in Lake Havasu City.

For the third year, a group of Orange County, Calif. residents that vacation in Lake Havasu City combined with the Lake Havasu Rotary Club and the Lake Havasu High School Interact Club to put on the Fishing for Kids event Saturday.

The event raised more than $11,000 to benefit New Horizons, Havasu for Youth and Arizona Children foster care.

“It was the four of us, sitting in Steamboat Cove, and we decided we need to give back to this community. So we decided to do something that we could bring here,” said Dave Temple of Temple Management.

So Temple, Herb Sellers, Todd Butcher and Tim Janca started the fishing event, gathering volunteers to take children and adults with special needs out on boats for their first fishing experience.

“And that has blossomed into extending the event to foster kids and children that have been abused,” said Butcher. “Rotary has been an outstanding partner.”

Most of the money and prizes awarded to the children – which included everything from toys and games to bicycles and DVD players – comes from southern California. That’s thanks to efforts of Pat McNatt, Desiree Temple and Andrea Temple.

“All the credit has to go to them,” said Lake Havasu Rotary Club president Terry Griffis. “They brought the idea to us and they do such a wonderful job.”

After three hours of fishing, the children returned to Rotary Beach for a barbeque and the prizes.

Hana Giambrone, 8 didn’t catch a fish but said he sister almost landed one. She and her fiend Emily Butcher, 7, said the event made them want to go out and try fishing again.

“Maybe tomorrow,” Emily said.

While the girls were skunked the boys had better luck.

“It was the first time I ever caught a fish and they let me drive the boat a little too. It was awesome,” said Victor Paez, 10.

Paez won the award for biggest fish caught while New Horizons clients Todd Foster won for first fish caught on the day and David Long had the most fish.

“It was a big one,” Foster said of the first fish he’d ever caught. “It was hard. It took a while.”

June Trubia, foster care developer for Arizona Children, called the event a “most phenomenal day.”

“This is what foster care is about; getting kids involved and in the community,” she said.

“A number of us wanted to give to community,” Todd Butcher said. “We just needed a way to give back.”

You may contact the reporter at dbell@havasunews.com.