Fishing For Life Youth Camps

Cast a Line. Change a Life. 

This Give to the Max Day on Thursday, November 19, we’re setting out to raise $14,000 to bring the joy of fishing and the outdoors to youth right here in the Twin Cities through our Metro Camps. Thanks to a generous matching gift, your donation can go twice as far!

These camps offer youth opportunities to experience the great outdoors, build confidence, develop new skills, and form lasting relationships with caring mentors. But the impact goes far beyond fishing, as one former camper’s story illustrates.

“I was struggling. I was bullied a lot through school… Being able to find a group, Fishing For Life, that didn’t care what I looked like, didn’t care what I had going on at home… welcomed me with open arms. It has stuck with me.”

TJ first attended a Fishing For Life camp at age 11. Growing up with a single mom and facing challenges at home and school, he found a place where he belonged. Today, in his 20s, TJ continues to volunteer with Fishing For Life and is involved in several of our programs.

As TJ explains, “It’s not all about fishing. It’s deeper than that… It’s the mentorship. The fellowship. They’re not just one event. They build connections.”

That’s the lasting impact we hope to create through every camp: relationships that encourage young people, strengthen their faith, and help shape the people they become.

We’re deeply honored that the Kansanback family is matching donations this year in loving memory of their son, Hayden Nelson, who loved to fish.

“Fishing For Life stands out to us as a wonderful program and charitable organization for us to support in Hayden’s memory. We are honored to be matching the donations made during Give to the Max.

“Hayden loved fishing, whether it be alone or with one of his buddies—on his boat or through a hole in the ice. If he had free time, it was a priority.

“If he would have had the chance, he would have happily taken his boat out and mentored young anglers. We know he would have truly loved exposing and teaching young fishermen the sport he was so passionate about.

“Hayden died unexpectedly in his sleep in 2024, a couple months before his 23rd birthday. A cause of death has never been determined, and we miss him tremendously. We know he would be proud of supporting Fishing For Life.”

Together, we can honor Hayden’s memory by giving more young people the opportunity to experience what he loved—and what TJ discovered through Fishing For Life: that fishing can open the door to friendship, mentorship, faith, and a sense of belonging that lasts a lifetime.

Thank you for helping us connect people to Christ through fishing and outdoor programs!