Our Heroes

Our Heroes page is our opportunity to recognize the truly special people who move our hearts and support our cause.  We are truly humbled…

April 5, 2024

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Danny Spychalla. Danny passed away at the young age of 61 from health-related issues. He was a dear friend and a wonderful asset to the Foundation. He was usually the first to volunteer for a fishing derby and he rarely missed one of the fishing events. Danny loved fishing and helping others learn the sport. He enjoyed hanging out with the kids, baiting hooks, unhooking fish, untangling fishing lines, and repairing the occasion broken reel. Danny will be missed by all of us at the M.A. Dailey Foundation. Rest in peace brother.

June 15th, 2019

147 miles, for most of us would be a long drive to head up north for a relaxing vacation. For Kelly Scroggins (Miss Kelly), it was just another afternoon transporting children from and to City on a Hill for the fishing derby at the Dailey Pond. City on a Hill is located on Kilbourn Avenue in Milwaukee. Unfortunately, on the day of the derby, there was a shortage of drivers and she was left to drive the children to Raymond, WI — 24.5 Miles each direction by herself. The van could only transport half the group. She had to drop off part of the group, turn around, go back to Kilbourn Ave., pick up another van full of children, and return to Raymond, WI. After the derby, she had completed 6 full trips!

Miss Kelly told the group “there were several children whom had never fished before and she wanted to be sure ALL of them made it”. On each return trip from City on a Hill she would have a HUGE smile on her face knowing she was giving the children a very unique opportunity to go fishing and spend time outdoors.

Miss Kelly spent time with mom Dailey (Margaret Dailey) and we learned Miss Kelly is also a foster parent. She has fostered 56 children! Each of her adopted children, as well as the children from City on a Hill, mentioned they absolutely adore Miss Kelly. We are all thankful for Miss Kelly and her dedication to all of her adopted children and the work she does at City on a Hill. Her beautiful heart is an inspiration for all of us. THANK YOU Miss Kelly!

 May 20, 2018

Heros don’t always wear capes and fancy costumes. Sometimes their superpower is a smile, laugh, or a shout of joy.  2018 started off with another incredible opportunity for us to meet a true hero who melted our hearts with her joyous laughs and new found enthusiasm for fishing.

Lexi’s Story

We first met Lexi in 2016 when the Hales Corners Lutheran Church “Buddy Break” group came out to the Dailey Pond for a fishing derby. She was very shy, reluctant to go by the water, and wheelchair bound. The volunteers tried on several occasions to get her near the water so she could try fishing. At that time, there was no pier or shore access making the adventure very uncomfortable for Lexi. After seeing her struggles, it was decided to build a fishing pier to accommodate those who could not get close to the water.

This year, to our amazement, Lexi courageously walked to the shoreline and tried fishing. After several attempts, she found success and caught her first fish!!! Her shouts of joy were heard from anywhere on the property! It was one of the most special moments any of us could remember. Her bravery and courage to overcome obstacles truly showed us what it is to be a hero. The following was a response from a Buddy Break volunteer who was also moved by Lexi’s heroism:

“Our sweet, shy friend Lexi was another who stood out to me… her dad drove all the way down from an event up north just to get her back to the derby.  Too much stimulation very quickly becomes overwhelming for our girl and she often seeks quiet, calm solitude away from others.  After a lot of gentle persuasion she was eventually convinced to try fishing again this year.  It takes a lot of courage on her part to go outside with all those people and new sensations.  Thanks to some creative maneuvering on the part of one of your fishermen, there was a fish already on the hook waiting for her.  As such, she had immediate success before she could retreat.  The joy on her face when she brought the fish in was indescribable.  She actually jumped up and down and clapped for herself!  Not only that, but she looked around to be sure the rest of us were clapping for her as well!  For a gentle soul who typically needs calm quiet, this was huge!!!!  Such a blessing!’

2016

2016 was another amazing year for the Foundation. As we reflect back on the stories of both the children fishing and the volunteers, we could pick any one of a dozen “hero” stories. Recently, I met with a good friend of mine, Ron Piojda, who shared his story with me from our first event in May. He told me about his fishing buddy, Jon, which I shared with others. We all we very moved and agreed that Jon’s story would be featured here. Please read and enjoy-

Jon’s Story

 

Jon attended the first fishing derby of the year along with several of his friends from the Hales Corners Lutheran Church Buddy Break in May of 2016. This derby was Jon’s first opportunity to experience the joy of fishing.  He quickly discovered a love of casting the line over and over and over and over again.  After a fair amount of gentle persuasion, Jon tried leaving his line in the water long enough to attract a fish.  It worked!   Not only did he catch his first fish that day, but he also kissed his first fish that day!  After releasing the prized fish and returning to casting, Jon repeatedly asked for “boat” and was excited when it was his turn to go for a ride.  As he walked towards the boat Jon spotted life jackets and was told by volunteer, Ron Piojda, he needed to wear one.  Despite the exciting draw of the water, the prospect of wearing a life jacket overwhelmed him.  He became quite agitated and strongly resisted putting one on.  Eventually Jon found the courage to yet again try something that was completely outside of his comfort zone.  He reluctantly donned the life jacket and sat down in the base of the boat.  As it moved onto the water, Jon kept a tight grip on the walls.  Slowly he adjusted to the feel of the boat, relaxed, and sang Row, Row, Row Your Boat.  The peaceful atmosphere, the soothing encouragement of Ron, and the motion of the water helped him find a sense of calm that was in direct contrast to the intense anxiety he felt just moments before.

Three months after the derby, the Buddy Break group held a beach themed event with a focus on water safety.  The attendees were given an opportunity to try equipment brought in by a life guard.  Jon spotted two life jackets and immediately went to them.  Without a moment’s hesitation, he first tried on one and then the other.  While wearing a life jacket similar to the one worn at the fishing derby, he once again sang Row, Row, Row Your Boat.  He took the hand of his buddy who accompanied him in the boat three months prior, looked right in her eyes and said “more boat, yes.”   It was a beautiful moment that attested to both Jon’s courage and the success of God’s mission.

Our Hero 2015

Colin’s Story

UPDATE- 2016 – Mr. Colin Olson once again donated his birthday money to the Foundation to purchase rods and reels for the boys and girls. We are speechless again.

We would like to introduce you to Colin. Colin can only be described as a very energetic, enthusiastic, and caring young man. Colin has been at many of the fishing derbies, with his parents, and he always lends a hand or sometimes just talks to the other kids.

Colin recently turned 9 years old and he wanted to do something special for his own birthday.  He chose (unprompted) to ask his family and friends to not give him presents for his birthday, but to give him money.  He then, enthusiastically, gave that money to the founder of the Foundation, Jim Dailey, to help other kids because “he has enough toys – I want to help other boys and girls” –  He handed an envelope with over $300.00 of his birthday money to help other children in need!  He even had a presentation and a hand drawn picture to show how much he cared — we only had tears in our eyes!  This is something WE WILL NEVER FORGET!  How wonderful the world is when there are people like Colin to bless others…