Brownwood Kiwanis ‘Kid Fish’ breaks attendance record at Early Town Center Park

More than 180 kids from Brown County turned out on June 8 for the 9th annual Brownwood Kiwanis Club Kid Fish event. This year the event was held at the newly constructed Early Town Center Lake. The event has drawn large numbers in the past but this year total attendance reached over 500 participants including volunteers and parents.

The event is held each year through a partnership with multiple groups including the Pecan Valley Kiwanis Club, City of Early, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Visit Early, Bishop Distributing, Brownwood Bass Club, CERT and Heart of Texas Nature Center.

“We were approached early in the year about taking over this event after the Lake Brownwood Community Development Council (LBCDC) had done it so well for so many years and we jumped at the chance,” said Matt Williams, club president. “Jessica Hardy headed the committee that was in charge and they did a fantastic job pulling everything together. This is another perfect example of how this community comes together to support and encourage our youth.”

The Early Towncenter Lake was stocked well in advance of the event and several City of Early staff were working to ensure smooth operation for the day.

“We are extremely pleased with the turnout,” Tony Aaron, City of Early Administrator said of the event. “Everything points to what we already knew and that is that this is a place for families. The partnership with the Kiwanis is a wonderful one and the chance for the City of Early to be included is awesome. I can’t say enough about the pre-planning, marketing and the work ahead of time to make this a great day for the community.”

Kids who ranged in ages from 4 – 16 fished for prizes and for fun. Members of the Brownwood Bass Club were on hand to weigh fish and offer pointers. Each student had a parent or guardian with them.

“We all had a blast,” said Bridgette Bowen “One of the great things about this year is the expanded age divisions and the awesome prizes.” Bowen is a parent who has been attending the event for the past several years with her child.

“Early this morning they were hitting the minnows and did okay on worms,” said Billy Hunter who walked away with first place in the senior division with a 1.74 pound bass. “It was a lot of fun.”

The event was made possible through several sponsors including Wendlee Broadcasting, Citizens National Bank, Texas Parks and Wildlife, City of Early, Jerry and Jan Sims, Pops Ice Cream and the LBCDC.

The Brownwood Kiwanis support youth education and growth programs through partnerships with many organizations across Brown County and meets at noon every Thursday at the Brownwood Country Club.