Kids Catch a Smile

The Delta Gold Council from the Golden Bear chapter started volunteering at Kids Catch a Smile day ten years ago. At first by teaching children how to make a correct 911 call. That evolved to a fish themed bean bag game with prizes, cotton candy and popcorn. Helping the kids to fish was also a big part of their effort.

This year Delta Gold had its largest group of volunteers working at the event, which was made even more special when the council presented a $5,000 AT&T Community Engagement check to the project leader Gary Voet.

A Smile Day started in 1992 as the result of a column then sportswriter Voet wrote in The Sacramento Bee. Covering the outdoors was one of his assignments and he wrote that there should be a special fishing day at a very accessible and safe place, for physically challenged children who don’t have the ability (but do have the desire) to go fishing.

After a positive response from that column, he started organizing a day that would not only involve fishing for the physically challenged children, but plenty of activities for their siblings and family. Clowns, wildlife exhibits, game booths, karaoke, face-painting and a whole range of activities.

When the children leave, they are presented with a special bag of donated goodies.  And the trout they caught during the event are cleaned and bagged and kept on ice and given to them to take home.