DAN SIMMONS Sportsman's Quest MORE COLUMNS SPECIAL TO THE PVT Students at a Nicaragua school are getting help from Nevada outdoors enthusiasts. SPECIAL TO THE PVT Maylia Granados is one of the people working at the school. Advertisement

You never know what you will find when on a hunting or fishing adventure.

On a recent fishing trip to Nicaragua with John and Nancy Grant, we made friends with the family that operates Rana Sport Fishing and Tours, in San Juan del Sur.

Their daughter, a college student, offered to give us a tour of the community, the local churches and schools.

This is something I often do while traveling, as it's an excellent opportunity to gain the flavor of a country and its people.

It's also a good way to meet good people, and sometimes even make new friends.

While visiting one of these schools, Nancy's heart visibly melted. It was a small school in a rural area with about 40 students.

The kids were magnificently polite and well behaved, appearing to enjoy the visitors from far away.

Their clean, starched, blue and white uniforms were fresh, even though we knew some lived in very basic housing, some even with dirt floors.

We did not see behavior associated with poverty. Some just didn't have much money.

Our family has a saying, "We've often been broke, but we've never been poor." These people exemplified that homily.

The school was in dire need of electrical and plumbing repairs, though, and their well had dried up, so the kids would carry water from home.

We, on the other hand, saw this as an opportunity to help and possibly make a difference in their young lives and "to do the good."

We discussed possibilities and needs with their teachers, who clearly were well trained professionals, but just didn't have the resources needed to make the repairs.

A plan began to develop. We would, with the help from our friends, provide them with the materials to build a new toilet facility and re-wire the classrooms, if the parents and community members would supply the labor. Plans would also be made for a new or rehabilitated well.

The parents were so pleased they got together the next week and dug the necessary septic pit and over the next few weeks had it lined with brick and layered with sand on the bottom.

They are now in the process of building the above ground toilet structure (a super outhouse) and getting ready to do the electrical work. Jim Mutton, with his engineering skills, helped on a subsequent fishing trip.

A neighboring church has offered to help them and it's bringing the communities closer together. Oh' yeah, the fishing was great, too.

The fisherman's daughter is now the volunteer director of the project and a full time college student studying business and tourism, thanks to the help once again of some fellow hunting and fishing pals.

She and the church pastor will be visiting Nevada this October, as new friends.

This ad-hoc method has been repeated in Africa and other places by local Southern Nevadans.

Organizations such as the Safari Club International (SCI) support humanitarian programs on a much greater scale.

Through the SCI Foundation's programs members demonstrate their care by directly reaching out to in need communities throughout the world.

It involves feeding millions every year and supporting health clinics. They have been involved in third world economic development activities, are the leader in wildlife conservation projects, and are a model to many other organizations and community efforts.

In other words, "They do good."

So, the next time you're on one of your adventures take some time and get to know the local community. If you have skills, energy or resources, share them on a one to one basis.

Contact SCI locally and ask how you can help (Las Vegas chapter president Dave Small 1-702-731-2330), or if you would like to help with our Nicaraguan project, give me a call.

We're not only helping those in need, we're helping the sportsman's image, and it probably helps us a little too.

So, the sportsman's toast to you all, "Tight lines, straight shots, fair chase and do good."

For more information on SCI, go to www.safariclub.org.

If you have an adventure, a story or a comment give me a call at 727-9777 or e-mail me at dansimmons@usa.net.

Events

It's not too early to start planning for the New Years round of conventions: The SHOT Show is coming to Las Vegas Feb. 2-5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information, go to www.shotshow.org.

The Fraternity for North American Wild Sheep will be holding its convention again in Salt Lake City, Utah Feb. 6-9. For more information, go to fnaws@fnaws.org.