Smiling faces at the annual Kiwanis Club of Rodney fishing derby

Larry Schneider, Ron Downie, Becky Byers and Shawn Gillis

Special to The Chronicle

Despite some rainy weather, including a one-hour downpour, the Kiwanis Club of Rodney welcomed dozens of children to its annual fishing derby at the Port Glasgow Arena.

In total, 158 young anglers braved the elements to drop their lines in the water in an attempt to catch some fish at the Sunday, July 9, event.

The sun eventually returned, and a large awards ceremony was held for the various age groups of 3-6, 7-10 and 11-14. Eighteen medals have been awarded so far. While some children leave early, club members eventually get their prizes to them.

Organizers expressed their gratitude for all of the Kiwanians who worked so diligently to help this gathering, as well as the 12 non-Kiwanians who also volunteered their time and expertise. With a seasoned crew on the weigh-in and prize tables, as well as registration and cooking the hotdogs, helped ensure a successful event. A special thanks was extended to Taryn and Caroline for running the free books table – Blue Boxes for Books, a Rodney Kiwanis – Investing in Children partnership – while the author fulfilled his Sunday morning ministry duties.

Excellent leadership and organization were provided, as usual, by the club’s fishing derby committee, Shawn Gillis and Ron Downie, with support from various family members.

The rain didn’t stop the fun from happening, organizers said. The kids were all smiles as they endured a soggy afternoon. It turned out to be a sunny day by the end, which allowed participants to dry out.

The winners of the casting competition were: ages 3-6: Luca, Hanna, and Jemma; 7-10: Ashton, Alex and Mack; 11-14: Tyler, Dominik and Alexis. The largest fish caught, by weight: ages 3-6: Jemma, 4 lbs., Riley, 7 oz., and Charlotte, 6 oz; ages 7-10: Joseph 4 lbs., 12 oz., Hunter, 4 lbs., 5 oz., and Matias, 3 lbs., 5 oz; ages 11-14: Kaden, 6 lbs., 5 oz., Dominic 6 lbs., 2 oz., and Cotton, 4 lbs., 5 oz. The two biggest fish of the day were those caught by Kaden and Dominic.

Organizers thanked the day’s volunteers, sponsors, and attendees, as well as the Port Glasgow Yacht Club for allowing them to once again host this event. Club members also wanted to thank Topp Tier Charters for its donation of a six-hour charter for a family of four that was won by Robyn Burns.

The day’s sponsors included: IECS Ready Mix, Rick’s Auto, Roodzant Seed Services, Ford Keast Accounting, Kids, Cops and Canadian Tire, Canadian Tire Woodstock, Santarossa Shooting Sports, HR Desa Worms, the Port Glasgow Yacht Club, Ken and Chuck Bondy and family, Miller Family Farms, The Rodney Market, and Agris Co-op.

Another thank you was shared with Frankie’s Hunger Hut for donating two $25 gift certificates for the two largest fish caught for the day!

Let’s celebrate another amazing, successful event, brightening our community with screams of joy, smiling faces, and great family fun, organizers said.