Children and their parents take advantage of the sunshine last Saturday during the Kids Fishing Derby put on annually by the Dunnville Hunters and Anglers Conservation Club as part of the Mudcat Festival. Photo By Nicole Ambrose

The clouds broke apart and the sun shone through long enough for the Dunnville Hunters and Anglers Conservation Club to put on its annual Kids Fishing Derby last Saturday (June 5, 2010). Kids twelve and under came from all over the town to participate in the derby, each fishing for the prizes that would come at the end of the day.

Each fish caught would cause a mad dash to the weighing table where fish were measured, weighed and marked down. Prizes were arranged for both the largest and smallest catches of the day and there was no limit to the amount of fish the kids could catch. Children and their parents gathered around the discreetly small pond on the club’s grounds to catch the sunfish, pickerel, walleye and the occasional shiners, to name a few, which inhabit the pond with the unlucky bait provided to them by Mohawk Marina, of Lowbanks, Ont.

Lori Richardson, member of the Kids Derby Organizing Committee, explains that usually the derby brings roughly 60 to 70 kids, but this year, the number is much smaller, around the 20 to 30 range. “It’s nice that this year the number is smaller because when you have too many kids it just becomes unmanageable and chaotic.”

The list of sponsors is vast -the derby could not be possible otherwise. Canadian Tire donated Frisbees to be used as prizes and local businesses such as Upper Canada Sports, Riverside Marina and Zebco made their “donations to the jar” to be used for next year’s derby. Other proceeds come from the BBQ lunch provided during the derby.

Besides the numerous prizes up for grabs, a mountain bike, donated by Fred Widerick, was raffled off to the kids at the end of the day providing extra initiative to fish the day away.

Richardson explains that without the constant support and sponsorship from local businesses the fishing derby would not be able to happen and is thankful the community is able to come together each year for the children and their families, giving them the opportunity to spend the day together, outdoors.

Posted By NICOLE AMBROSE , CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
Updated June 9 2010

Article ID# 2614358


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