The Jose Wejebe Spanish Fly Memorial Foundation, in partnership with Misty Wells, hosted back-to-back fishing trips for foster children this month, continuing an annual tradition aimed at giving displaced and at-risk kids a few days of encouragement, belonging, and fun on the water.
The first group included several returning participants from A Kid’s Place, an organization known for keeping foster siblings placed together in the same home. Counselors Manny and Mark returned for another year, and Captain Mike Macko led the fishing, with local attorney and longtime supporter Brian Casey joining as mate and providing a generous donation to help fund the trip.
Mutton snapper were running heavy in the area, and the group targeted them throughout the trip. Along the way, Macko landed a personal-best 27-pound blackfin tuna, and the boat also brought in a large cubera snapper — welcome surprises for a crew rigged for snapper with long leaders.
Following two days of fishing, the boys visited the Dolphin Research Center for a dolphin encounter program, interacting directly with animals many of the organizers have known for decades. Between formal sessions, volunteers brought ice down to the docks so dolphins could approach the group informally, drawing laughter and, for at least one reserved participant, a rare smile.
The trip closed with dinner at the Square Grouper, where the group cleared their plates completely, with some kids finishing their seafood soup straight from the bowl.
“These trips are about fishing, but they’re also about exposure, belonging, trust, and laughter,” said Misty Wells. “A captain taking the time to teach, a counselor watching a kid finally relax, a dolphin reaching a child in a way words can’t — that’s what stays with them.”
Organizers say the goal of the annual trips is to give foster children access to new experiences and a sense of being seen, valued, and included, even briefly, outside the circumstances that brought them into foster care.
About the Jose Wejebe Spanish Fly Memorial Foundation
The mission of the Jose Wejebe Memorial Foundation is to honor Jose’s legacy by matching his passion for conservation, education, and making fishing dreams come true.
