Conditions were perfect for the annual Take a Kid Fishing event hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Vero-Treasure Coast. Roughly 80 children, accompanied by adult family members, spread out along the catwalk under the Barber Bridge for a free morning of fishing fun.

Although Take a Kid Fishing has always been catch-and-release, event chair Mark Sammartino said that this year, staff and volunteers from the Ocean Research and Conservation Association took back some 20 pounds worth of fish from the hundreds caught; only the varieties consumed by humans. The fish was slated to be dissected by ORCA citizen scientists as part of its One Health Fish Monitoring project, which researches the amounts of toxins and pollutants transferred from the lagoon into fish.

Oh, and Sammartino said the ORCA folks also took with them a leech that had been taken off a stingray.

Kiwanis volunteers were busy throughout the morning, lending out fishing rods, untangling lines, cutting up pounds of bait shrimp donated by Vero Tackle and Marina, tying bags of chum to entice some nibbles, and removing hooks from the wriggling creatures.

Still others worked to measure and note the seemingly endless catches proudly brought to the table by the delighted anglers.

“Another puffer; they’re coming in fast,” said Kiwanis member Tim Wright, as one after another child, fish dangling from rods, waited their turn.

When Alex Borz brought up a 19-pound black drum, Mark’s father, Al Sammartino, said it was the first time anyone had ever caught one. That is, until Valentina Vieyra caught another one – this time a 20 pounder. Both children won prizes for biggest fish in their age categories.

Although he has worked the event for years, this was Mark Sammartino’s first time chairing it, and he made a few changes. He arranged with the Salvation Army to serve hamburgers and hot dogs out of their Emergency Response food truck, and Kona Ice stepped up to give participants free shaved ice treats. Additionally, on top of trophies and fishing gear, the winners also received T-shirts and hats.

To get the word out to underserved portions of the community, Sammartino said Minuteman Press sponsored printing the event flyers in English and in Spanish.

“We’ve never done a Spanish flyer before, and I thought that was important. I did that because of our large population of Spanish-speaking people in Fellsmere and Sebastian.”

Take a Kid Fishing is one of many annual community service events hosted by the local Kiwanis Club, founded in 1973. They also organize fundraisers so they might provide volunteer and financial support to civic projects and local nonprofit organizations that serve children.

For more information, visit VeroKiwanis.com.

Photos by Joshua Kodis