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Donation Total: $100.00

Our Story

Catching Dreams Charters, Inc. a 501( c )(3) not for profit, provides fishing adventures for children and young adults battling cancer! We create meaningful moments and memories on the waters of Western New York by “turning wishing into fishing”! Free fishing charters are provided to patients and families. Our “Dream Team” of certified Coast Guard Captains and guides offer the highest level of professionalism, safety, and ability. These special opportunities allow kids who are battling cancer to regain a sense of normalcy in their lives, find respite from the challenges of cancer treatment and spend time learning and enjoying a new activity.
About Us

What We Do

Our organization specializes in providing fishing therapy to patients during and after treatment, as it is becoming increasingly recognized as a valuable complementary psychosocial therapy for reducing stress and anxiety. Through our free fishing charters, patients and families can enjoy the expertise of our “Dream Team” of certified Coast Guard Captains and guides, who prioritize safety, professionalism, and ability. For kids battling cancer, these special opportunities provide a chance to find respite from the challenges of treatment and regain a sense of normalcy in their lives by learning and enjoying a new activity. To support our mission, we work closely with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, coordinating programs with The Courage of Carly Fund and the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) program. We are grateful to our corporate and individual sponsors and partners, who help us provide as many charters as possible, and invite you to explore our website to learn more about the exciting programs we offer for these brave kids.

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Charters FAQ

Our fishing charters at Catching Dreams Charters include all necessary fishing gear, bait, and licenses, as well as a knowledgeable captain and crew who are passionate about creating a safe and enjoyable experience for children with disabilities and life-threatening illnesses. Read our FAQ for more info.

No – we teach and fish on each charter.

No – all gear and bait are supplied. 

No – all trips are free of charge! 

Most trips are four to five hours depending on the child! 

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Our Why

Why We Fish

Through our fishing charters, we create an environment where children can forget their daily challenges and create unforgettable memories with their families. Our fishing trips not only provide a fun day out on the water, but also offer a sense of accomplishment and confidence to children who may face physical or emotional obstacles in their daily lives.

Benefits:

  • Fishing therapy can provide a calming and meditative experience, reducing stress and anxiety in children.
  • The tactile and sensory experiences of fishing can improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination in children with disabilities.
  • Fishing therapy can promote socialization and communication skills, as children work together with their families and the crew to catch fish and share in the excitement of the experience.

View Our Dream Team

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Captain Ned Librock

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Captain John DeLorenzo

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Captain Ned Librock Catching Dreams Charters www.catchingdreamscharters.org
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Captain Chris Cinelli

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Captain Connor Cinelli

Scott Miller
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Captain Scott Miller

Craig Sleeman
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Captain Craig Sleeman

John Gaulke
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Captain John Gaulke

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Captain John Mango

Justin Warriner
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Captain Justin Warriner

Pete Goretti
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Captain Peter Goretti

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Captain Cory Jenner

Board of Directors

Ned Librock

Founder

Chris Brown

Secretary

Robin Nusbaum

Board Member

Roy Larson

Board Member

Bill Hilts Jr.

Board Member

Dr. Denise Rotitka

Board Member

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No, Silicon Valley – bugs are not features. Reach out about a technical issue, share your feedback or ask us about our favorite lunch spot in Miami. We’re here no matter what.

Ned Librock is the President and Founder of Catching Dreams Charters, Inc. 

Ned is a United States Coast Guard licensed charter boat Captain and a licensed New York State fishing guide. He is a retired Western New York business executive with careers as President of Dynabrade, Inc. in Clarence, New York, the leading manufacturer of abrasive power tools, and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Columbus McKinnon, a publicly traded global manufacturer of lifting equipment headquartered in Amherst, New York.

Ned received his bachelor’s degree from Buffalo State and his master’s degree from University at Buffalo. He is a trained Cultural Anthropologist with a specialty in economic anthropology.

Ned currently serves on two boards within the Industrial community and has extensive experience serving on not-for-profit boards with various community and industry associations.

Ned lives in Pendleton, New York and is married to Sharon and has two children and five grandkids. 

Chris is a founding partner of Roach, Lennon & Brown, PLLC, a full-service business, commercial, and estates/trust law firm located in Buffalo, New York. His practice primarily focuses on business/corporate law, serving both individuals and businesses throughout the Buffalo-Niagara region.

Chris serves on the Board, and acts as legal counsel, for Fantastic Friends of Western New York, Inc., a not-for-profit that provides recreational and social programming and activities for children and adults with special needs. Chris also serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the Niagara USA Chamber of Commerce.

He is the 2014 recipient of the Bunkers in Baghdad President’s Award for Outstanding Service and was nominated as a 2017 Legal Elite: Rising Star, recognized by the Buffalo Law Journal. Chris is a cum laude graduate of University at Buffalo School of Law, and a summa cum laude graduate of SUNY Geneseo. 

Robin Nusbaum joins the Catching Dreams Charters Board of Directors with over twelve years fundraising experience as the former Courage of Carly Fund Program and Events Manager at Roswell Park Alliance Foundation.  During her tenure, she worked closely with Ned to launch the partnership between Catching Dreams Charters and the Courage of Carly Fund, recruiting and coordinating pediatric oncology patients at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center for fishing charters.  Impressed with the Catching Dreams Charters program and the positive feedback she garnered from the pediatric patients post-charter, she was thrilled to be a part of the burgeoning program and excited to grow participation from Courage of Carly members.  She brings the Catching Dreams Charters Board of Directors over a decade of experience in coordinating and managing events, marketing, sponsorship cultivation and retention, and social media expertise.  Now, as a new mother, she has a fresh and profound perspective on what experiences like Catching Dreams Charters can mean for a child and family.

She is an honoree of the Business First 30 Under Thirty award (2013).   Robin graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond with a degree in Leadership Studies from the Jepson School of Leadership.  A Buffalo native, she is committed to her community and welcomes the opportunity to further advance the Catching Dreams Charters mission. She lives in Clarence with her husband, Ryan, and son, Wesley. 

Roy Larson taught Social Studies in the Williamsville School District for 32 years, working at Heim Middle School for 14 and Williamsville South HS for 18.  He Received a BA in History and Political Science from Wittenberg University and an MS in Secondary Social Studies Education from Buffalo State College.

An avid fisherman from age 5, Roy began charter fishing on Lake Ontario in 1984 and later on Lake Erie.  He also worked as a guide for 7 summers at a salmon lodge in southwest Alaska.  For the past three years, he has assisted his good friend Ned Librock in the “Catching Dreams” fishing program.

Roy lives in Wheatfield, NY with his wife Linda. 

Bill Hilts Jr. of Lockport has been promoting sportfishing in Western New York for Niagara County for 35 years. He was part of the staff at Destination Niagara USA for nearly 2 decades as the Outdoor Promotions Director and he served as the Sportfishing Promotion Program Coordinator for Niagara County until his retirement in early 2021. He was the president of the Lake Ontario Sportfishing Promotion Council, overseeing a marketing effort involving the 7 counties along Lake Ontario, for over 2 decades. He is currently the outdoor writer for The Buffalo News (since 2016) and was past president of the NYS Outdoor Writers Assn. and the Assn. of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers. He was the host of “Outdoor Beat” Cable TV Show that aired weekly on Spectrum Cable, compiling nearly 300 shows in just 6 years.

Among his accomplishments, he is a member of the NYS Outdoorsman Hall of Fame, inducted in 2007. He is a past recipient of the New York State Professional Conservationist of the Year in 1997. That same year he received the Milford “Pinky” Robinson Memorial Award for outstanding service to the Great Lakes fisheries. He was placed on the Don Bronson Memorial Conservation Wall of Fame for Niagara County in 2014. Also, in 2014 he was named the M. Paul Keesler New York Outdoor Citizen Award by the New York State Outdoor Writers Association and followed up with the Hans Paller Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to the state writer’s group in 2016. Through the years he has received more than 20 first place writing awards for state and regional groups, as well as numerous photography awards through the years. He is currently living in Lockport with his wife Sandy. Between the two of them they have 4 kids and 12 grandchildren.  

Denise Rokitka, MD, MPH is a pediatric oncologist in the Roswell Park/Oishei Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders program. Dr Rokitka’s specialized area of care is in the Long term complications of childhood cancer, promoting ongoing health and wellness for pediatric cancer survivors. Over the past 15 years, in addition to treating patients in the Pediatric Survivorship clinic, she has acted as the Clinical Director of the Young Adult and Oncofertility program at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Rokitka serves on the board as a medical advisor.  A Buffalo native, Dr. Rokitka lives with her husband and three boys in the Southtowns.  The family enjoys traveling and fishing in exotic locations.