There's No Escape For This Trout!

What better way to spend a few hours on a Saturday morning than to help around 100 disabled adults and children enjoy a morning of trout fishing?

That’s where I was this past Saturday morning, and let me tell you, I think I had way more fun than all of the great folks who showed up to fish!

The Optimist Club of Milton has been hosting the Trout Fishing Derby for a number of years, in various locations around Halton Region. It’s always held on the first Saturday in June, so mark that date on your calendars for next year! We’re always looking for volunteers and sponsors (especially sponsors!), so come on out and have an amazing time if you can. For a complete set of pictures from the event, visit my Picasa site.

http://Fish4Trout.ca

As a long-time resident of Milton, I thought that I knew quite a lot about the area. So it came as quite a surprise when I walked down the lane to help out at the 2009 Milton Optimist Club Trout Fishing Derby at Fish4Trout (3132 3rd Sideroad, just E. of Guelph Line), and saw this incredible sight in front of me.

In talking with Richard, the owner, I learned that the pond is fed by water coming from the side of the hill, and it is obviously great, clean, water because they use the same source for their drinking water on site. Make sure you visit their web site to find out how your family can enjoy a great fishing experience.

I volunteer for a number of different organizations, and get a lot of personal satisfaction from doing this, but I honestly don’t think I’ve ever met such a happy, grateful group as this. The competition amongst the people fishing, the pure joy on their faces, which radiated from their hearts, the thrill their family’s and caregivers got when helping them land a fish, even all the ladies who put worms on hooks for the first time in their life, it was just incredible to see and feel the joy and happiness we were able to bring to all the people.

We think this young guy, Mike, caught more, and bigger, trout than everyone else.

I am a fairly new member of the Optimist Club of Milton, and hadn’t been involved in the Derby before, so I was quite surprised when Club President Dan Snider told me that many sponsors had dropped out this year (shame on you, Tim Horton’s, for saying your business is down so much you can’t afford to donate coffee from a corporate level; THANK YOU to Neighbour’s & M&M Meats for your generous sponsorships!), and none of the invited media had shown up to cover this event that impacts the lives of probably 400 people.

Kudo’s to the Army Cadets for coming out and being the delivery vehicle to take all the caught fish to the gutting table. And great big kudo’s to all the Optimists who gave of their time and talents in arranging and staffing this great day.

Dad helping out his boys - this Dad was great, helping everyone he could, and still catching a few himself!

For those who are not familiar with the Optimist Club, here is a brief description of what we are about, taken from the Optimist International web site:

It’s an association of more than 3,000 Optimist Clubs around the world dedicated to “Bringing Out the Best in Kids.” Optimist Clubs conduct positive service projects in their communities aimed at providing a helping hand to youth. With their upbeat attitude, Optimist Club members help empower young people to be the best they can be. Each Optimist Club determines the needs of the young people in its community and conducts programs to meet those needs. Every year, Optimists conduct 65,000 service projects and serve well over six million young people.

If you would like more information on the Optimist Club of Milton, please shoot me an email, or give me a call at 905-208-7002. Or come on out to the first Milton Cruise Night, Sunday June 7th from 4:30 to 9pm, in the parking lot of the Milton GO station. We’ll be there every Sunday throughout the Summer, weather permitting, so come enjoy some great grub from our Charity Chip Truck and check out some fantastic cars!

Congratulations Dianne!!! After you’ve watched the video, check out this awesome web site to find out more about volunteering in Halton: http://volunteerhalton.ca

I am somewhat fascinated by volunteering, for a number of reasons. I first began my volunteer work in earnest when I was a student at Milton District High School. I was a driver for the Canadian Cancer Society, and I used to pick someone up at their home in Mill Street, drive them to the hospital in Toronto, and then bring them home after their treatment. I had to leave that work after the patient succumbed to the cancer and I was not emotionally prepared to deal with it.

Since that time, I’ve been involved in a number of different organizations, including serving on numerous committees at the local real estate board, serving on the Communications and Marketing Committee at the Milton Chamber of Commerce, and assisting various groups over various busy spells as needed.

It is my most recent, and longest-term, volunteering that gives me the most satisfaction however; I am Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Halton Children’s Aid Society, as well as a member of the Executive Committee and chair of the Governance Committee. I mention this only as a backdrop to the number of amazing people who are on the Board of the HCAS, all busy people from vaired career areas and family backgrounds, and all who give much of their spare time to numerous organizations that need help.

As a part of the CAS’s work, there is a Volunteer Recognition Evening, and it is always a fascinating event to attend. Recognition is given to the people who give freely of their time and efforts to help the organization, and it is heart warming to see so much love and compassion at play. I always get a chuckle out of the volunteer drivers; there is a real camaraderie amongst them, not to mention the fun they have trying to win the award for most hours driven in a year. I don’t remember the exact number, but the person who wins that award is volunteering for more hours a week than many people work at their careers!

Each year at Christmas, my family sets out to help a needy organization, any organization, and we have been pleasantly disappointed the last few years as we’ve been told that there are more than enough volunteers already. WOW! That is excellent, that so many people are giving back to their community.

What a fantastic trend that is to see!!

If you have not partaken of the opportunities to volunteer that exist in our community, please give it a shot. You’ll be amazed at the great people you meet, the lives you’ll touch, and the growth you’ll experience as a result of it.