Gone fishin' with Uniondale youth

The Uniondale Community Council Youth Project and S.T.R.O.N.G. Youth, Inc. went on a nautical adventure on July 22.

A group of 72 kids, ages 7 to 12, plus staff members from both groups took a ride on the Captain Lou VII, departing from the Nautical Mile in Freeport for an afternoon of fishing.

“The captain and crew were terrific with our kids and much appreciated,” Lorraine Danser, executive director of the Uniondale Community Council Youth Project, said.

The children spent four hours on the water catching flounder, chum mackerel, sea robins, crabs, and even baby sharks. Captain Nick and his crew from the Captain Lou Fleet taught the kids about fishing and guided them throughout the afternoon. All marine life were safely returned to the water.

Vineyard Offshore, a clean energy company based on the East Coast that has recently expanded into New York, sponsored the fishing trip.

The company is sponsoring fishing trips for communities across the state. This is the first summer the program is running, and Uniondale is one of the first communities to go on the trip.

“The idea behind the trips is to find people who don’t have access to being on the ocean on a boat,” Andrea Bonilla, senior manager of external affairs for Vineyard Offshore, said. “The idea is just to create that exposure as a way to create awareness for potential maritime fisheries, careers, opportunities, and offshore wind in general.”

The fishing trip was just one of multiple field trips the Uniondale Community Council Youth Project goes on throughout the month-long summer camp, and Danser is appreciative of the “wonderful day and experience” Vineyard Offshore provided for the kids.