GREENVILLE – The Light Foundation and the Greenville Masonic Lodge hooked up to host “Hooked on Fishing” in the Greenville City Park at the pond behind the Masonic Lodge.
“We’re trying to allow families to spend some time together away from electronics,” said Light Foundation Chief Operations Officer Troy Eden. “We always end with a lesson, and we like to talk about Responsible, Ethical, Accountable, Leadership.
Eden closed the event with a brief talk about integrity, what it means, and its importance.
“The hooked on fishing program is trying to get kids and adults to be in the outdoors, to have fun, enjoy life, and do things that are related to the outdoors,” said Dwight “Bufford” Edwards, a volunteer and former game warden. “It gets them away from the house, it gets them away from the telephone, the computers, and what better way to spend the day than out fishing with friends and families.”
Kids of all ages spent time fishing with fishing equipment supplied by the Light Foundation.
The Light Foundation believes that fishing is a great way for families to spend time together outdoors, and our events give hundreds of young people each summer a chance to experience the thrill of the sport, some for their very first time.
“You can show up and not know anything about fishing,” Eden said. “We supply the fishing pole, the tackle, the bait, and we teach kids the proper way to fish.”
At each event, the Light Foundation provides information on fish and aquatic life, rules and regulations for fishing, as well as basic instruction on baiting a hook, tying a knot, casting, important tactics on how to catch a fish, and finally, how to handle and return fish to water. Each event includes the provision of rods, reels, bait, and tackle for participants to enjoy 90 minutes of catch-and-release fishing.
“These are fun events,” Eden stated. “We’re getting 400 to 500 people a year now who come to these Hooked on Fishing events.”
