Project sports fishing for a cause
Teen’s event supports students with autism
POMPANO BEACH — Mikaela Whitmer’s eighth-grade “passion project” seems to have all the makings of a lifetime pursuit.
Her teachers last year had thought the eighth-grader had cast too wide a net when she set out to organize a fishing tournament thatwould raise money to support Deerfield Beach students with autism, Whitmer, now 15, said. But Saturday, it looked as though the second annual Trash Can Slam Fishing Tournament for Autism tripled last year’s $2,000 haul to buy materials to help students with autism.
“This makes me feel totally awesome that everyone wants to participate,” said Whitmer, who also gathered donations from local businesses, such as a two-night stay at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, that were raffled during Saturday’s event.
The number of boats that went out increased from11 to 16. And, buoyed by raffle prizes such as a custom-designed platinum fish pendant, Whitmer was able to increase the prize from last year’s $533 for the winning boat to $1,000.
Whitmer’s effort grew from her love of fishing — she has caught a 63-pound wahoo — and concern for her cousins, two Minnesota sisters whose lives have been affected by the brain disorder.
Teaching kids with autism involves getting as many different materials as possible. Sensory rewards are crucial for reinforcing desirable behaviors for these students, explained Mary-Beth Williams, autism team coach at Deerfield Beach Middle School.
“The money [for the materials] usually comes out of our pocket,” she explained. “Reinforcers [for each student] can change on a weekly or daily basis.”
Mikaela Whitmer’s mother, Heather Reinoehl Whitmer, said it’s been a thrill watching her daughter gain confidence as she’sorganized the tournament.
“At first, she sort of talked to the ground,” Reinoehl Whitmer said. “Nowshe just barrels right in there.”
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