BY JOHN BRICE
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
CHAMBERS COUNTY — Hardley Creek Recreation Area on West Point Lake was the location yet again for the Kids Fishing Rodeo sponsored by the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, June 6. Children 12 years old and under were invited to participate in the competitive event with registration which began at 8:30 a.m. for arriving participants who were advised to bring their own rod for the fishing session that began at 9:30 a.m. and continued until noon.
Accompaniment by an adult was required at all times with a complimentary lunch provided afterwards by Johnny’s New York Style Pizza of West Point for all registered kids.
Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Carrie Wood reflected on the day’s event.
“Today is our fourth annual Kids Fishing Rodeo,” she said. “Every year we invite everyone to come out, enjoy the day with us as we load this pond with catfish. Everyone is able to reel them in to keep the children’s attention a little bit and maybe start a new hobby for those that come. Of course, we want to give a special thank you to our sponsors. Also, we want to give a huge shout out to Johnny’s Pizza. They provide the lunch for every child that is here today. Bluffton Bait and Tackle provided the bait for each child. That kind of take the weight off of parents a little bit, have a fun day. The only thing that they really have to come with is their poles.”
Wood went on to share her excitement over the growth of the event and community participation.
“This is our fourth year and it has grown,” she said. “This year we have about 150 participants so a little bit shy of last year, but there are some fall tournaments and other things going on in the area to do today. We are happy, if we made a difference in one child’s life then we did our job today. We had a good crowd. Some people don’t even realize that this is here and has access for them to come and bring their children because this is always open for 12 and under.”
Wood said she is passionate about providing fun, free events for local families.
“It is different every year just depending on what is going on in the community,” she said. “Baseball comes first for a lot. We just try to keep it on the same weekend so that people know that the first Saturday in June is kids fishing rodeo. We look around and we see the same people that have been here every year. That means that their kids are enjoying it. To see the smiles on their faces, that makes
