There may be many more young people ice fishing in Manitowaning Bay on Manitoulin Island this year, after a special donation of fishing rods was made to their school.

The donation of 109 ice fishing rods was organized by Brad Ham, a Manitowaning resident, in honor of his wife, Shan Case, who died of acute leukemia in September.

“She just loved being outside, especially fishing and really enjoyed ice fishing in the winter months,” he said.

“I decided that ice fishing was the theme, whether it was sponsoring some kind of ice fishing tournament or something. So I decided to select the students from the city in which we live here and give them all the ice fishing rods in the hope that it would inspire them to go out and enjoy the winter months. “

With the help of his family, friends, and some local businesses, he was able to raise enough money to buy the rods and reels – enough for every student at Assiginack Public School.

Just before the holidays, Ham donated the ice fishing rods to the students in an outdoor live video presentation, which was shown in the school classrooms.

“When family day was [first] introduced, Shan hosted the first fishing tournament in Manitowaning Bay. About fifteen people participated, and from there, it grew. The fishing tournament has become an annual community event, ”he said.

“Shan has always said, ‘Kids, you have to go out,’ and she modeled that with her own son and friends. With this gift, her legacy lives on.”