Josie’s Gift Holds Annual Fishing Day on Lake Winnebago for Children with Medical Battles

Rhis year saw 34 boats out on the lake.

The event is named in honor of a girl the event co-founder, Daniel W. O’Kane, met when he was working at a Children’s Hospital in Madison.

Josie passed away in 2017 — but the co-founders have kept her memory alive in the custom fishing rods they donate to other children, as well as the annual fishing event.

They spoke about what they loved seeing most in the program.

“The smiles,” said Laura O’Kane, co-founder of Josie’s Gift. “A lot of the children they don’t have smiles because of what they’re going through and when they come back from fishing — smiles, and that that makes us very happy.”

“To see a parent tear up because their child is smiling, from what they’ve been going through, treatments and everything, and they haven’t seen their kids smile, and they come to an event like this and they’re just glowing,” said Daniel W. O’Kane.

In addition to the current annual fishing day, the O’Kanes are looking to expand the reach of their nonprofit to include more outdoors events.