MINNEAPOLIS — According to a 2016 U.S. Census Bureau report on Wildlife-Associated Recreation, 86 percent of anglers identified as white, while nine percent identified as African American, and two percent identified as Asian American.
As a firm believer that the outdoors should be for everyone, Ray Ruiz started out to change that statistic.
"I saw a huge gap in the community and I thought as a professional outdoorsman, it was my responsibility to do something about that," Ruiz said. "So I did. I started my nonprofit."
Through Baztec Fishing and Outdoors, Ruiz gets kids hooked on everything Minnesota's nature has to offer.
"Our small little programs can spark this great interest so, that's what makes what we do so special," he said. "It starts out really small, and then you can see it sparks these kids-- they go crazy over the outdoors and fishing."
Cultivating especially in kids of color, a love for a hobby they might not have had a chance to try before. Baztec hosts several free fishing events at different lakes around the metro. He's out there with rods, bait, and instructors who help the kids--free of charge.
"One of the main things that stops these communities is that they don't know how to, because they were never taught," Ruiz said. "And if they had someone in their family that did fish or did hunt, it wasn't passed down."
Ruiz says he only caught the outdoors bug after his dad showed him how.
"When I see these kids out here, it fills me with joy, that's all I can think is joy," Ruiz said. "And the joy that comes from what my father taught me. This is generational, this-- it makes me very emotional because this is what my father taught me."
He always tries to be a father figure for the kids who show up, day in and day out.
"My dad--I think about my dad and all the kids that don't have that," he said. "And I was lucky. I just feel that passing this knowledge, these little things take care of all these bigger things in these kids' lives. These two hours we're out here, we're teaching knots, teaching how to remove a bullhead, this is how not to hook yourself, this is how you cast, these things you can take and you have a lifetime of skills."
Each event he hosts leaves an indelible mark on each child's childhood.
Ensuring that the kids say, that one summer in Minnesota was made, unforgettable.
"If someone later on remembers some hairy guy, teaching them how to fish, well I'm honored," he said. "I'm more honored, I can say those teachings that you've learned, came from my father."
Baztec Fishing and Outdoors has a full calendar of events all throughout the year, free for anyone, even in the winter.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.