Published April 13. 2019 06:01AM
Volunteers are needed to make the 66th annual fishing derby for Carbon County special needs children a success.
The fishing derby, organized by the Germantown Grove Club and American Legion Post 304 in Jim Thorpe, will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 9 and 10 in the Germantown Grove in Jim Thorpe.
Henry Desrosiers, director of the Carbon County Veterans Affairs office, said that as the groups work on the final details, some things that are still needed include volunteers to help the children fish and donations to help offset some of the cost of the fish and gifts for the students.
“Times are tough on everyone as we all know, and we are losing the post’s membership rather quickly because of age with no younger veterans joining,” Desrosiers said. “The event is special because we need to keep our community informed about our special needs community members. They too provide invaluable insight and assistance to our community, which is sometimes overlooked or forgotten.”
Over 150 people participate annually in the event.
If you would like to donate or volunteer your fishing talents and assist students, call Desrosiers at the Carbon County Veterans Affairs office at 570-325-3986 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Fishing children and their helpers line the bank of the stream in the Germantown Grove during a past special needs fishing derby sponsored by the Germantown Grove Club and the Dolon-Jones-Martino American Legion Post 304, Jim Thorpe. TIMES NEWS FILE PHOTO