A.S. Face 0123: Steve Rodimak

A.S. Face 0123: Steve Rodimak

My name is Steve Rodimak I have had several surgeries and was diagnosed with As in 1998. I was a maintenance director for 20 years and had to go on disability after my back fusion surgery in 2005.. I have always had a passion for the outdoors and ice fishing is my thing..My Family has always been there and took care of me after my surgery. I have the best parents and I am blessed to have them. I started this children’s non-profit in Maine and N.h to give back and keep me going,, I needed a purpose in life.. I went thought the poor Steve thing and depression, I have been divorced , lost a beautiful house and job . I now have a girlfriend who understands and has patience with me. she is my go to and gives me strength. I always thought I would be alone but I feel things happen for a reason,Each day is a new day for me. I try to do everything i can when feeling good, I wanted to share an article that was written about me and my icefishing program .This illness is a challenge and nobody would understand it and probably never will. You can either start living or start dyeing.  cookie i was hoping you could reword this and make it a better article for your faces of as. thank you and i hope this is something you could use . i am not very good at writing but wanted to share.
Steve Rodimak, ProStaff
IceFishing4aCause
80 Country Club Road
Hollis, Maine 04042
(207) 776-1303
www.icefishing4acause.org
Below is inclued an article:
Ice fishing tournaments and derbies continue to grow in popularity here in the Northeast, due mostly to demand. Some of the events are highly regulated with strictly enforced rules, while others are more relaxed. Some are geared towards a specific species and others offer prizes for a wide variety of fish. And then there is IceFishing4Acause.
IceFishing4ACause is the brainchild of Steve Rodimak. Steve started ice fishing in the mid eighties, at the urging of a friend, and soon became hooked on the sport.   He quickly became involved with  local ice fishing derbies, volunteering to help out on a regular basis. And then in 1998 he started to suffer from some health issues, including hip replacement surgery. It was shortly afterwards that he was diagnosed with Anklyosing Spondylitis, an inflammatory disease that causes pain, stiffness and fusion of the joints. For the next several years he would be in and out of the hospital, undergo extensive back surgery, and he was, for the most part, unable to pursue the sport he loved.
It was in 2006 that Steve spent most of the year in and out of rehab that he met a group of kids and started talking to them about ice fishing. They were interested and urged him to once again become involved with the sport, and Ice Fishing 4 a Cause was born; an ice fishing program for kids and people with disabilities.
In Steve’s words; At first, I started with small groups of children and many one-on-one lessons. I now host and help several charity derbies in the State of Maine and NH.  Some of our derbies have 1500 to 2000 people attend.  We do a big charity derby in Limington Maine every year to raise money for a children’s cancer retreat called Camp Sunshine.  At the events, we do raffles, casting contests and jigging clinics all  free of charge for kids. Last winter, we started helping the State of NH’s “Lets Go Fishing” program, where we assist with field trips for some elementary schools.  I have several volunteers that help and a girlfriend who supports me and helps with my website. Jiffy Ice Drills, Frabill and other sponsors help us out and we work hard attempting to locate funding so we can continue to operate our events.
For the upcoming season, IceFishing4ACause has five derbies planed in Maine and New Hampshire and you can bet Steve Rodimak will be hard at work making sure everyone has a good time. For more information, visit www.icefishing4acause or you may email Steve at rodimakfish@yahoo.com
Maine United States of America