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Help Our Military Youth!
Rods4Kids Needs You! Http://www.heartlandoutdoorsman.com
Press by Scott Richardson, Pantagraph Newspaper (IL)
Mike Clifford is looking for a few good men -- and women -- and
anyone else he can get to donate money to give fishing gear to
the sons and daughters of America's soldiers.
Clifford, Web master of heartlandoutdoorsman.com based in Monee
near Joliet, launched Rods for Kids last week. The goal is to
raise $25,000 to put 3,000 rods, reels and tackle packages in
the hands of the children of people in the military.
Clifford, conservation director of the Illinois Smallmouth
Alliance, said the idea came when he was reading a newspaper
article that highlighted problems faced by kids whose moms
and/or dads are away fighting the war in Iraq or working in
support.
While one spouse is off serving in uniform, their children are
essentially living in single-parent families. The at-home parent
must do the work of two to keep the home together, an exhausting
prospect for sure. Fishing provides an outlet to relieve the
stress and a way to spend quality family time when it's needed
most, he said.
Clifford, who organizes fishing derbies for kids near his home,
sees an added benefit. The program is bound to reach children
who've never gone fishing. Studies show the earlier you get a
HOW TO CATCH MANY FISHMark 1.17 "And Jesus said unto them, come ye after me and I will make you fishers of men." One night as I was sleeping, I had an ..... kid started in the sport the more likely it is he or she will
pursue it as a lifetime hobby. That's important at a time when
fishing license sales are flat or declining in most states, he
said.
"These kids are our future biologists, our future fisheries
managers, our future politicians. We're counting on them, and
they're counting on us," he said. "It's not a coincidence that
when the budget for natural resources are in the shape they are
in, that fishing license sales are level or down. It all starts
with the kids."
Clifford approached Zebco with the idea. The company is
providing the fishing gear at a reduced price. Each child will
receive a spinning reel, 5-foot-6-inch medium action rod and a
Help Our Military Youth!Rods4Kids Needs You! Http://www.heartlandoutdoorsman.com Press by Scott Richardson, Pantagraph ..... 76-piece multispecies tackle package.
He hopes to attract donations from corporate sponsors,
individuals and clubs that focus on fishing and the outdoors.
He expects wide support. Growing anti-war sentiment is focused
on decision-makers in Washington, D.C., not on the men and women
in uniform, said Clifford, who classifies himself as politically
moderate.
"It seems to me people are supporting our soldiers. This has
nothing to do with politics," Clifford said. "This is about our
natural resources and about kids."
He'll work with the military to identify kids in military
families or host fishing derbies open to children with fathers
or mothers in the service.
To become a sponsor, visit http://www.heartlandoutdoorsman.com.
About the author:
Mike is a webmaster and volunteer for various youth and
conservation groups in the Midwest. His website:
http://www.heartlandoutdoorsman.com
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