Local Boy Fundraising To Bring Indoor Fishing Event To Children's Hospital

A metro boy is raising money with the help of his family to bring an indoor fishing event to an area children’s hospital.

10-year-old Alex Turner was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3.

He is homeschooled by his father, Neil, and the pair broadcast their adventures on social media through their “Okie School of Adventure” pages.

Alex says fishing is one of the outlets he uses to manage his autism.

“It's a spectrum. So, it's going to be different for everybody. But for me, it helps with being creative,” Alex said.

He views the fishing event as a way to pay it forward to kids battling long-term illnesses and disabilities.

“A ton of people helped me out with having fun. So, I should probably return the favor to somebody else,” Alex said.

With the help of his dad, Alex came up with a way to bring his favorite hobby to the hospitalized children.

“Some of them spend their lives in this, this hospital, so they don't get the opportunity to go out and do a lot of things,” Neil said.

The plan is to bring tanks stocked with fish inside the children's hospital allowing them to experience the excitement of catching their first fish.

“I think they’re going to catch more fish at the children’s hospital because it’s a small tank and there’s not really much places for fish to hide,” Alex said.

Neil said it's all possible with the help of CAST for Kids and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

“It's a really humbling experience to see the community love on your child like that and just have a normal day,” he said.

The event is set to take place sometime next year, and while most of the funds are covered by community and corporate sponsorships, Alex is hoping to reel in some extra support.

The Turner family set up a GoFundMe to help raise the money needed to take the project across the finish line, and any leftover donations will go to the children’s hospital.

If you’d like to donate, CLICK HERE.