VIDEO: On the 12th day of Christmas, we catch Ryland by surprise

Ryland is a young boy who is passionate about fishing - and inclusion!

He is an avid fisher who had an unwelcoming experience with an online derby that dampened his enthusiasm for the sport until our local fishing community welcomed him with open arms.

Instead of giving up on something he loved, he took inspiration from the Sault fishers he had met and made it his mission to create an inclusive event for fishing enthusiasts to enjoy the sport without any pressure. 

He has put his heart and soul into a free ice fishing derby for kids, organizing sponsors, gathering prizes and coordinating a fun event that offers every kid who participates the chance to enjoy the sport.

We wanted to celebrate Ryland for creating an accessible event that helps kids get onto the ice and enjoy a warm meal and fun prizes, at no cost, while expecting nothing in return.

A huge fan of fire trucks, we surprised Ryland at our local fire hall. A big thank you to the Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services team who made this surprise extra-special.

Sincere thanks to our generous sponsors, Best Buy Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma Autism Foundation, Tyler Dunn Guiding and the Trading Post, for making this Random Act of Kindness possible.

Next year marks our 12th year of 12 Days of Christmas Random Acts of Kindness surprises. Do you want to help us give back through this program? Email us at [email protected]. 

Visit sootoday.com/cares to watch all of our Random Acts of Kindness videos.