Looking for Volunteers

If you live in the Central Ohio Area, we could use your help

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Greetings TU members!

I was approached by the principal at Big Walnut Middle School about another Veteran/Student pairing for a morning of fly-fishing instruction and fishing as part of their annual Big Walnut Middle School Service Day located in Sunbury, Ohio.  We have done this event for several previous years through Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing and it is a rewarding and valued experience for students, veterans, and volunteer guides alike.

We typically have on average about 16-17 students signed on to this event and between 8-11 veterans.  This year our Mad River Chapter of TU, the Central Ohio Fly Fishers, and the ODNR will be the official sponsors of this event.  I am reaching out to all of you to secure experienced fly-fishing volunteers to serve as guides to be paired with students and veterans. We will have gear for the students and veterans.

This event will be held on Friday, May 10 from 8 a.m. – 12 Noon with veterans and volunteer guides meeting at Big Walnut Middle School at 555 Old 3C Highway, Sunbury, Ohio 43074.   Coffee, juice, fruit, and donuts will be served in a conference room for our participants while a small contingent of our volunteers will go directly to the Sunbury Reservoirs (250 Otis Street. Sunbury, OH 43074) to assist in equipment and site set-up.

Students will be bused to the reservoirs. The ODNR will be stocking reservoir #2 with rainbow trout on Saturday, May 4.  In addition, there are blue gill, crappie and some nice bass in these reservoirs.  As an educational experience, this provides 7th and 8th graders the opportunity to meet and interview our participating vets including guides to learn about military life. Sunbury has a strong appreciation of military personnel.   Fly-fishing is a fun way to bring all of us together for a morning of camaraderie, and fishing.  In addition, we have the opportunity to expose a young group of students (boys and girls) to this affliction we know as fly-fishing.  

When we arrive at the reservoirs, we will make introductions, assign pairings, conduct a short casting clinic, and review safety procedures before sending the student/vet/guide pairings off to fish. Please let me know if you are able to serve in the capacity of guide, fishing coach and educator. We could also use some volunteers to distribute flies, water, take photos, etc.  Please sign-up early by responding to this email or leaving a message on the cell number listed below. For those of you who are veterans yourselves, thanks all for your service contributions that help to preserve the freedoms we all enjoy.

John Davis,

Mad River Chapter, Trout Unlimited

Board Member at Large 

Central Ohio Fly Fishers

Co-Education Chairperson

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc.

Columbus and Central Ohio – Volunteer

 

Cell: 614-425-6160

jdavis6785@sbcglobal.net