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AUGUSTA, Maine -- The "Hooked On Fishing - Not On Drugs" program will welcome its first corporate sponsor when Walmart of Maine donates $10,000 for the program on this Thursday, 11:00 a.m. at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Headquarters in Augusta. Walmart of Maine has also pledged up to $20,000 for next year also.
"These funds will allow us to reach many more children," said Betty Lewis, Youth Activities Coordinator for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. "We now can purchase more equipment, increase available hours for the program, train more instructors and have more days for children to fish. There already is a great interest in schools for this program, and with Walmart^s help, we hope to double the number of schools that we run programs."
Until this point, the "Hooked On Fishing - Not On Drugs" program depended on grant money that funded the training program for instructor certification and community sponsorship for individual programs that have run throughout the state. "Walmart of Maine continues to support children and families in Maine. This donation is the first step in a commitment to enhancing opportunities for children that promote health and well being," said Walmart Coordinator Don Emmons, "As a corporation, Walmart has always been committed to children and families, and this donation shows that support for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife^s youth programs."
In Maine, "The Hooked On Fishing - Not On Drugs" program is run in conjunction with the Sportfishing Tackle Loaner Program. There are 23 loaners sites throughout the state where children can borrow equipment to learn how to fish. This Walmart sponsorship will help in creating more loaner sites where people can get equipment.
"Teaching children to fish gives them a lifetime skill and an alternative. Hooked On Fishing - Not On Drugs teaches the critical thinking skills that young people need to make the tough choices that will face them in life," said Lewis, "Combined with the tackle loaner program, we have done better than that - we have provided the means to utilize that alternative. This program sets them up for success, it helps students boost their self-esteem and their confidence levels."
The "Hooked On Fishing- Not On Drugs" program is designed for students of all ages, grades K-12. It is an interdisciplinary, supplementary drug prevention program for young people. It offers a students a positive alternative to drugs. Through fishing, students focus on building self- esteem, life skills, civic values, better relationships with family and community and stewardship of aquatic resources.
Editor^s Note: On Thursday, November 4 at 11:00 a.m. at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Headquarters on 284 Street in Augusta, Commissioner Lee Perry, Youth Activities Coordinator Betty Lewis, Hooked on Fishing Instructor and Game Warden David Georgia, and Walmart Coordinator Don Emmons will be assembling fishing rods that will be used in the program.
Uploaded: 11/5/1999
Uploaded: 11/5/1999