Our Mission

It's All About the Smiles

Our Mission and Objectives

Chaska Area Fishing with Friends is a 501.c non-profit organization providing meaningful and enjoyable fishing opportunities and boat tours to senior citizens, veterans, youth and adults with disabilities from the areas of Chaska, Chanhassen, Carver, Victoria, Minnetonka and surrounding areas.

 

Objectives

  • To offer no cost opportunities for an outdoor adventure of a fishing or boating trip on Lake Minnetonka.
  • To introduce and educate youth and parents to fishing through various classroom and outdoor activities.
  • To offer volunteer opportunities for men and women in the surrounding areas by giving back through helping others.

A History of Service

Chaska Area Fishing with Friends is a group of volunteers from Chaska, Chanhassen, Victoria, Minnetonka, Carver and surrounding areas who want to do something to give back by helping others. The organization has been in existence since 2009. Fishing with Friends is a 100% volunteer organization with the support of the City of Chaska and the Parks and Recreation Department. Each year this fully volunteer program holds approximately 75 Lake Minnetonka boat trips accommodating some 750 passengers on our 24 foot pontoon boat. These trips include groups of up to 10 passengers for youth, veterans, senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. Supporting volunteers assist with each trip annually contributing approximately 1500 hours of volunteer time.

Since inception, Fishing with Friends has been able to host in excess of 12,000 participants.

Who We Serve

We accommodate numerous people in the Chaska surrounding area:

  • nursing homes
  • veterans groups
  • assisted living facilities
  • senior centers
  • youth groups

An additional value is the volunteer opportunities it gives to the 50+ men and women who choose to step forward to volunteer and help build community through helping others. Allowing many of these volunteers to utilize their talents in helping others who are not so fortunate is yet another wonderful outcome of this volunteer organization.

CAFWF is honored to annually help support the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department Water Patrol and the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities in a fishing outing on Lake Minnetonka.

For veterans, getting out on the water is a real treat and the sharing of their stories is a real gift to the volunteers.