Vern Watters, 6 Who Care Award Winner
For 24 years Vernon Watters and his Eagle Bassmasters club members have taken the Camp Sunshine campers on child-sized fishing expeditions on Sebago Lake. More than 11,000 children have gone fishing because of Vern.
Vern identifies with the parent visitors at Camp Sunshine; his son Will was severely injured in an army helicopter crash in 1976. Vern and Will connect through their shared love of bass fishing: relaxing, therapeutic, rewarding, and carefree.
For some Camp Sunshine children, it is their first time fishing, being on a boat, or even seeing a lake. According to Matthew Hoidal, "Vern's quiet and humble demeanor is endearing to the kids; they are totally 'hooked'!"
Vern is 91 and a veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He parachuted behind enemy lines on D-Day, and is a recipient of the Purple Heart.