Teaching children a lifelong hobby, instilling appreciation for our marine environment and providing fun, family outings were the objectives for the Kids’ Fishing Clinic in Naples on March 9th. The MIACC Foundation, along with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) offered a free Kids’ Fishing Clinic for children between the ages of 5 and 15 at the Naples Pier.
Over 190 kids from the community turned out for this free clinic. Young anglers learned the basics of conservation stewardship, fishing ethics, angling skills and safety. “The smiles on the kids’ faces and the squeals of delight as many of them reeled in the first fish of their life, is what it’s all about” says Tiffany Sawyer-Schank, one of the event organizers from the MIACC Foundation. Fishing equipment is provided to each participant by Fish Florida and the MIACC Foundation and bait provided by Serenity Bait Company for the kids to practice their new fishing skills off the Naples Pier. Nearly 60 volunteers from the community assisted organizers with setup, rod rigging and instruction at each skill station. Each participant that completed the clinic went home with an event fishing shirt, a rod & reel combo and tackle. The Collier Fair, an event sponsor, offered all kids wearing their Clinic shirts, Free admission to the Collier Fair on March 14th.
A special thank you to volunteers Naples Fishing Club, Marco Sport Fishing Club, Windstar Fishing Club, Robbie Schank of Captain Redfish Rob’s Charters, Naples High School Golden Eagles, plus many more. Cosmos Italian Café & Pizzeria and Dan Lipinski of Dunkin’ Donuts were kind enough to keep volunteers well fed and hydrated throughout the day. 2019 Event sponsors: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Marine Industries Association of Collier County Foundation, Fish Florida, Coastal Angler Magazine, Sprigg Yacht Consulting, Collier Fair, Sawyer’s Marina, FishTale Boats, Hamilton Harbor Fuel Dock, Naples Marina, and Lowe’s Marine Sales.
Individuals or companies interested in helping sponsor this event or volunteering at the clinic should contact the MIACC Foundation Event Coordinator, Tiffany Sawyer-Schank at 239-682-0900 or email foundation@miacc.org.
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