Dayton Miami-Valley AFL-CIO Host 'Take Kids FIshing' Day With Union Sportsmen's Alliance
On May 17, families were invited to visit the Lakeside Lake at 9:30 a.m. for a free, fun-filled day. The first 150 kids aged 2 to 15 were gifted a free fishing rod and reel.
In 2017, Dayton-area unions came together to with Pineview neighborhood residents to clean the lake and de-clutter the area to make it accessible to fishing Since then, it has become an annual conservation project for the Dayton-Miami Valley AFL-CIO Labor Council, the Ohio AFL-CIO and the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance.
Kids learned about the importance of fishing and conservation from union members and other volunteers. Volunteers from unions like the Laborers, Plumbers and Pipefitters, IUE-CWA, Firefighters AFSCME and others also helped parents/guardians with fishing instruction.
The Ohio AFL-CIO led the event as part of its series of free youth outreach activities organized under the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s Work Boots on the Ground conservation program. The union has worked over the last few years to improve the lake.
According to the USA, fishing is $35 billion industry that contributes $600 million annually to fisheries conservation and water access. Over 40 million anglers participate in the sport, and USA is aiming to inspire the next generation.