It’s not every day that someone takes a dream and turns it into reality. Yet, some dreams cannot be denied their place in the world.
Jake Klopfenstein’s dream was to help kids with cancer deal with the stress of chemo treatments and therapy through fishing. After watching a friend deal with the loneliness and isolation that often occurs during cancer treatments, he wanted to help bring a little ‘normalcy’ back into the lives of pediatric cancer patients.
13-year-old Jake founded the non-profit organization called Angling for Relief. He and his volunteers deliver ‘dry fishing kits’ to pediatric cancer patients so that they can safely practice the art of fishing while in the hospital or at home. When they are able, kids and their families can attend fishing events in the Tampa Bay area. They enjoy a day of fun and relaxation, escaping the taxing regime of dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
Across the nation, local heroes like Jake believe in the power of compassion and social responsibility. In turn, they activate their communities around areas of need like homelessness, hunger, and protection of vulnerable children and animals. From humanitarian aid to patient support, food banks to education opportunities, grassroots charities make a significant impact on the lives of so many.
MSN Causes is proud to honor Angling for Relief, and founder, Jake Klopfenstein as our “Local Hero of the Month.” We are inspired by his passion and his commitment to help improve the lives of others. We hope that his story will inspire others toward positive change in our world.
As a token of our appreciation, we’ve donated a Microsoft Surface Go to the organization to help Jake stay mobile and connected whether he’s visiting hospitals or bay-side promoting a fishing event. Angling for Relief will be featured on MSN.com on April 29, providing readers the opportunity to learn more about the mission of the organization and donate to help pediatric cancer patients find ‘fishing relief.’
Click here to support Angling for Relief.
_____
MSN Causes creates awareness around key societal needs and empowers readers to become involved through volunteering, donations and sharing information.
