For nearly three decades, one Sunday each fall has belonged to the kids of the Emerald Coast. On Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, Harbor Docks in Destin, Florida, hosted its 29th annual Take a Kid Fishing Day, sending 299 local children out onto the Gulf aboard 43 boats, many of them fishing for the very first time. By the time the boats returned to the docks late that morning, the harbor was full of smiling faces, proud parents and, as a bonus, a few fish.
The event is a signature tradition for the Harbor Docks family of restaurants, a group that also includes Dharma Blue in Pensacola and Chuck’s Fish in Mobile, and whose leaders say good deeds are always at the forefront of their mission. During the Moon Crush music festival weekend in nearby Miramar Beach, Harbor Docks founder Charles Morgan invited a group of visitors from the Alabama coast to see the event firsthand.
A Morning on the Water
The day began early. Kids were fed breakfast before loading onto 43 boats at 7 a.m. to head out fishing. For many, it was their first time on a boat, let alone holding a rod with a fish on the line.
By 11 a.m., the boats began returning to the docks with boatloads of excited young anglers. Parents milled around waiting to greet their kids as they arrived back from the high seas. Then came the fish fry, and each child went home with a fishing rod and reel of their own and a T-shirt commemorating the day.
Giving every child a rod and reel is a thoughtful touch. It means the day does not have to end at the dock. With their own gear, kids can keep fishing from piers, jetties and shorelines around the area long after the event is over.
Twenty-Nine Years of Giving Back
Eddie Morgan, Charles’ son and the owner and president of Harbor Docks, has watched the event grow for most of his life. “We’ve hosted Take a Kid Fishing Day for 29 straight years, well, except for 2020 because of Covid and one year because of bad weather,” he said.
The goal, he explained, is to give children opportunities they might otherwise never have. “Many of these kids have never been fishing or know anything about it. Some have never even been over the Destin bridge,” he said. “Destin’s history is steeped in fishing. My dad began as a captain on a sport fishing yacht before he opened Harbor Docks on July 4, 1979, serving cold beer and raw oysters on a picnic table. We wanted to preserve that tradition and do something for the community to expose younger kids to fishing.”
From a Picnic Table to a Destin Institution
When Harbor Docks opened in 1979, it was one of the few places in the area serving food at all. Destin has changed dramatically since then, growing from a small fishing village into one of Florida’s best-known vacation destinations, with high-rise condos, resorts and a busy harbor lined with restaurants and charter boats.
Eddie Morgan grew up with the business. “I caught my first fish, a catfish, off this dock when I was 4 years old, and I’ve been earning a paycheck from this place since I was 7,” he said. “At 9, I was a deckhand, and at 14 I moved into the fish market (Harbor Docks Seafood Market), and at 15, I was washing dishes and busing tables.”
A graduate of the University of Alabama in hospitality management, he said the company tries to instill a culture of helping people become successful. Until recently, the family operated Red Bay Grocery in the small community of Red Bay, north of Destin, where 50 town partners supported a grocery store and café for the community, run by Charles and his crew.
Why Fishing Matters in Destin
It is hard to overstate how central fishing is to Destin’s identity. The city began as a fishing village in the 19th century and has long promoted itself as the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village,” thanks in part to how quickly deep water can be reached from East Pass, the inlet connecting Choctawhatchee Bay to the Gulf. Destin’s harbor is home to one of the largest charter fishing fleets in Florida, and fishing tournaments, seafood festivals and the daily return of charter boats remain part of everyday life.
For Morgan, the event is about keeping that heritage alive. “It’s expensive to go fishing, and you have to have the knowledge to be successful at it,” he said. “This gets kids outside and sets up a path for the future. Once you are in it, it’s easy. There are plenty of good jobs in the fishing industry that can take you all over the world. We don’t want the importance of fishing in Destin to be forgotten.”
That path is real. Many of the charter captains who donate their boats for the day got their own first taste of fishing by participating in Take a Kid Fishing Day as children. To make sure there are enough boats, kids register in advance, and the charter fleet is eager to help. Morgan said that connection is important because the event represents so much of Destin’s identity.
A Year-Round Community Effort
Pulling off a day on the water for nearly 300 kids takes months of planning. “We have volunteers who raise funds to help underwrite the event through a golf tournament and a charity auction,” Morgan said. “The Ft. Walton Beach High School basketball team helps register kids when they arrive, serves donuts, and helps with the fish fry. Kids and parents are all included. Off-duty firefighters and policemen volunteer as well.”
He credits Jackie Tway Lavin with leading the volunteer team. “She has been an operations manager for over 30 years and knows how to get things done. She is responsible for the charity auction and the Spring golf tournament held at Emerald Bay Golf Club. She’s phenomenal!”
The ingredients of the day include:
- Breakfast for the young anglers before boarding
- Dozens of donated charter and private boats and their crews
- A fish fry for kids and their families after the boats return
- A free rod and reel and commemorative T-shirt for every child
- Volunteers from local schools and off-duty first responders
- Fundraising through a spring golf tournament and a charity auction
Thanksgiving for Thousands
Take a Kid Fishing Day is not the only way Harbor Docks gives back. An even bigger celebration takes place on Thanksgiving Day, when the restaurant feeds more than 2,000 people in the community for free. In late 2024, the team spent several weeks preparing for that year’s holiday meal.
“We fed the Alabama Men’s Basketball team and coaches last year when they were playing in a tournament in Niceville during Thanksgiving,” Morgan said. “While we do feed Thanksgiving meals with all the trimming at several of our restaurant locations, this is by far the biggest group.”
How to Get Involved
For families on the Emerald Coast who would like to participate in a future Take a Kid Fishing Day, or for businesses and individuals who want to support it, a few pointers:
- Registration for kids is handled in advance so organizers can line up enough boats. Contact Harbor Docks for current dates and sign-up details.
- Charter captains and boat owners interested in donating a trip can reach out to organizers ahead of the event.
- The spring golf tournament and charity auction help fund the day and welcome sponsors and participants.
- Volunteers are needed for registration, food service and the fish fry.
In a season of gratitude, the event is a reminder of how much good happens along the coast when businesses, volunteers and captains pull in the same direction. For 299 kids on a Sunday in November 2024, it meant a boat ride, a fish story and a rod and reel to take home. For some, it may someday mean a career on the water.