The Unions Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) capped off three Take Kids Fishing Day events in Wisconsin last month as part of Work Boots on the Ground – the USA’s flagship conservation program. The goal of the events is to get kids outdoors and show them how to fish, which falls under one of the USA’s core focus areas – youth mentorship.
Volunteers across the state from numerous unions joined forces to help set up, bait and prep fishing poles, prepare food, transport gear, administer registration and, of course, help the kids fish.
The events took place in Eau Claire, LaCrosse and Madison. While Eau Claire and LaCrosse have hosted Take Kids Fishing events for the last few years, this was the first time Madison held its own event. Eau Claire and LaCrosse had about 40 and 55 participating kids, respectively, while Madison had 120 children participate.
“For me, the best part of the event was seeing the smiles on all the kids’ faces,” said Dave Branson, Building and Construction Trades Council of South Central Wisconsin executive director. “I loved being able to interact with everyone there. Not only was it successful, it was fun. Everybody had a great time.”
Branson said a big part of the success was that so many first-time anglers got involved.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters sent a lot of kids our way,” he said. “Some had never fished before, and it was great to see our volunteers helping them and seeing how much fun they had.”
Another important aspect of Work Boots on the Ground projects is that they help build bridges between union members and their communities. According to Western Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Bill Brockmiller, it is great for the public to see union volunteers helping to enrich the community.
“This is our home, too,” said Brockmiller. “We’re your neighbors and your friends. We try to make it a better place for everybody.”
By helping more than 200 kids wet a line last month, the events proved to be a great tool for teaching future generations about the outdoors.
“Take Kids Fishing Day is the perfect opportunity to educate our youth on the benefits of fishing and spark a lifelong interest in the sport,” said USA Conservation Manager Ty Brown. “It’s also a great way to show families the abundance of public access opportunities available in their communities.”
The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance Work Boots on the Ground program brings together union members, who are willing to volunteer their time and expertise, to tackle conservation projects that improve public access to the outdoors, conserve wildlife habitats, restore America’s parks and mentor youth in the outdoors in order to pass on America’s outdoor heritage.
For more information about Work Boots on the Ground, contact Brown at tyb@unionsportsmen.org or 615-831-6751.
PHOTO CAPTION: Former USA Conservation Manager Tim Bindl and his son, Tate, caught four bluegill at the Madison Take Kids Fishing Day.
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The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) is a union-dedicated, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, whose members hunt, fish, shoot and volunteer their skills for conservation. The USA is uniting the union community through conservation to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage. For more information, visit www.unionsportsmen.org.