Early afternoon on Saturday, April 27, the Petersville Rod & Gun Club Fish Committee held their annual kids fishing event for the Dream Come True organization.
According to the Dream Come True website, their unique organization got their start in 1984 and is devoted to providing hope, joy and a chance to dream for children between the ages of 4 and 17 who are seriously, chronically or terminally ill in the Lehigh Valley area.
Throughout the past 40 years, Dream Come True has fulfilled the dreams of 1,309 children and their families, averaging about 30 dreams a year. Their mission is to “promote and enrich the lives of children facing serious health challenges, offering them the opportunity to hope, dream and live their fantasies.”
Their commitment is to not only fulfill wishes, but also to nurture hope and foster resilience within the community.
Some of the wonderful wishes they have granted include meeting storybook heroes, receiving a longed-for gift, meeting famous musicians, actors and sports players and embarking on thrilling adventures to destinations like Hawaii and the Grand Canyon, as well as magical places like Disney, Discovery Cove and the Kennedy Space Center.
The annual family fishing event in Moore Township is paid for by donations and funds raised by the Petersville Rod & Gun Club Fish Committee for the Dream Come True children.
The day out included fishing, food and fun for the entire family, and concluded with a $1,100 check donation presented to Dream Come True, as well as trophies and gift cards for all participants.
In total, the fish committee purchased and stocked the pond with $1,500 worth of trout, as well as $300 worth of food and gift cards for the kiddos.
Some of the items donated to the event included prizes, candy, donuts and snacks, as well as pizzas donated by Red Wolf Bar & Grille and an assortment of colorful trophies that children got to choose from, adorned with fish toppers and engravings commemorating the event, which were generously donated by Tracy Berger-Carmen.
Fish committee member Susan Druckenmiller revealed that this is the 12th or 13th year that they have held the annual fishing event for the children of Dream Come True.
Druckenmiller shared that the kids love to fish and bring their family for a fun-filled day out, which they look forward to every year.
Although there were supposed to be 17 participants this year, only about nine children were able to attend due to the Special Olympics being held on the same day and because of the brisk, windy weather that began to drizzle, which prevented some children from attending based on their health conditions.
Nevertheless, the children that made it out to the event thoroughly enjoyed themselves as fish committee members helped teach them how to bait their hooks, cast their lines, reel in, dehook and clean their fish, while chatting and getting to know one another.
All in all, it was hard to tell whether it was the children or the fishermen that enjoyed the event more, making it a very special day for everyone involved.
The Petersville Rod & Gun Club Fish Committee is always looking for volunteers and will begin fundraising for next year’s event shortly.
In the meantime, those wishing to donate can do so directly to the Dream Come True organization. For more information on Dream Come True and donations, visit dreamcometrue.org.
