Over a two day period, 11000 people gather at Salmon Creek Park/Klineline Pond in Vancouver, WA. to help children between ages 5 and 14 experience fishing, playing outside and learning about water safety. To create stewards for our future fisheries we need to introduce children to the benefits of fishing as an individual and family activity and as a way to become more aware of our natural resource
s. This fishing event began in 2000 as a program of Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) and GoPAW (Go Play Outside Alliance of Washington). Funds were cut in 2010 and the 2011 event was threatened with closure when a group of volunteers gathered together to make it happen. Klineline Kids Fishing Nonprofit became a 501c3 in 2012. Klineline Kids Fishing began with 1210 kids in 2000. In 2016 we served 3000 kids. No child was turned away. This event is wildly popular and we anticipate 3200 kids in the near future. (Note: Other kids fishing events, by other names and hosted by other organizations have been held at this location, every year, for the last 30 years.) Klineline Kids Fishing accomplishes two goals. It gives children the opportunity to experience the thrill of catching a fish and educational sessions help children learn more about fishing, water safety and the outdoors. This event also puts children in close connection to our Counties first responders. Firemen, police, game warden’s, and medics are present and available to visit with the kids. Children also make a one-on-one connection to fishermen volunteers who mentor them in fishing. We think our fishing event impacts the lives of the children we serve. We see it in their happy faces; we hear from children and parents that return a second year. We see success in increased numbers of children that participate each year and in the people who volunteer and contribute in some way to make this community event a success. In 2012 we were honored to receive a “Spirit of Clark County” Award for our work with children in the community. You can view it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFjOBK2J3v0 Our segment is between 3:20 and 5:00 minutes on the video. Klineline Kids also supports other kids events throughout the year by contributing fishing rods, volunteering time and helping with whatever we are able to do to make those kids events successful.