Cochrane’s annual Canadian Tire JumpStart Kids Can Catch event snagged a strong crowd on Saturday morning, with more than 165 kids casting their nets around Mitford Pond.
“It was a big success – higher than last year,” said the Town of Cochrane’s community program leader Jen Lyons, who spent the day helping kids dig imitation worms out of a backyard box of soil. “It was a great experience for the children.”
Sponsored and organized by Canadian Tire in partnership with the town, the company stocked the pond with fish, and supplied fishing rods and prizes so youth could try their hand at hooking a line.
Mentors from the corporation, along with Cochrane and area anglers, also led mentoring sessions for those new to the recreational activity to learn the basics of how to bait, how to cast and (with any luck) how to catch.
Lyons said youth also had a chance to gain knowledge about water safety, watch a bear spray demonstration, and take part in a pond study, adding many children came with their grandparents, parents, cousins and other relatives – making the morning a true family affair.
“It was a great intergenerational event,” she said.
Working with Cochrane Family and Community Support Services and other partners, the Canadian Tire JumpStart program gives approximately $50,000 to help families in financial need each year.
