Dear Ted,

As it has been for the past seven years, a great deal of thanks goes to the Western Bass Club for the tremendous job you did in helping to make the Renton "Fishing Kids" event a huge success. Help with planning and organization, plus rigging the rods and reel, the boater safety educational section, and all of the help by the club members working with the kids on the day of the event, definitely made the event run smoothly, and made everyone else's tasks much easier. Your club's dedication to this event and to introducing the sport of fishing is very obvious and very much appreciated. A special thanks need to go to Sue Hudgens and Virgil Wilbur for their help in organizing the volunteers and with several other important aspects of the event.

We hosted 785 children, plus at least that many parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles--and it could have been a lot more. And even though not everyone caught fish, though most did, there were smiles on almost every child's face, and most of the adults too. Again this year, comments were all positive, with many parents seeking out volunteers and thanking them personally for their efforts in helping them and the children enjoy their fishing experience.

As you know, with fewer and fewer kids getting involved in fishing, it is important to offer as many opportunities as possible to introduce them to the sport. To do this it takes a lot of caring individuals who are willing to give their time and energy to make it happen. I appreciate and thank you, and your club members, for being those types of individuals. Without people like you, there would be no Fishing Kids. I hope to continue to work with you for many years to come.

Sincerely,
Jim Owens
Executive Director

Hi Jim,

I recently participated in the Coulon Park Fishing Kids event. I am a second grade teacher and have always wanted a way to share my love of fishing with my students. The Fishing Kids event was perfect. My entire class signed up and it was a huge success. For many of my students this was their first experience fishing and they had a blast. Families came together and our group had a picnic in the grass before our scheduled fishing time. The volunteers were overly helpful and graciously accommodated requests to change some fishing times so that we could all fish at the same time. Please pass on my thanks to all your staff and sponsors. This is a worthwhile endeavor and I look forward to participating with my students and their families for many years to come.

Sincerely,
Curt Anderson