Legion, VFW team up to host Veterans Youth Fish Classic

TOMAHAWK – On Saturday, June 6, American Legion Post 93 and VFW Post 2687 joined forces to host the Veterans Youth Fish Classic at Veterans Memorial Park in Tomahawk.

Event organizer Jeannette Fehr explained that each year, the tournament will honor a veteran from the community. This year, the event was held in recognition of Sergeant Charles Grigg, who served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Marine Corps.

Fehr said Grigg was a “man of courage, honor, integrity and discipline” and “a man who came home to further serve this community.”

“Thank you, Sergeant Grigg, for a life well-lived,” Fehr stated.

This year’s Veterans Youth Fish Classic was a “great success,” Fehr said.

“Our volunteers did everything from setting up tents and tables, taking them down and cleaning up afterwards,” she stated. “Three volunteers worked the registration table, and two volunteers worked the measuring table and logged in the information.”

Several other volunteers helped the kids get their fish up to the measuring table and back. In all, there were 25 registrants and 77 fish caught and measured.

“That’s like 15 trips back and forth per volunteer, carrying a bucket of water with fish,” Fehr noted.

Fehr said most of the kids were squeamish when handling the fish for measuring, so the volunteers helped with that.

“I don’t do fish, so it was cool to watch our female auxiliary and veterans interacting with the kids on this level,” Fehr stated.

A drawing was held after the tournament. Each child was given a choice of rods and reels, bait buckets, minnow buckets, tackle boxes or fishing lures, and the grand prize was a youth kayak.

“After all was said and done, it was discovered that the last child was only awarded one small item,” Fehr said. “She was disappointed, as were many around her. The parents with multiple kids asked their kids if they would like to give this child one of their items. These kids jumped at the opportunity to reach out in compassion for a kid they didn’t even know.”

Fehr said it was “heartwarming to watch some of the older veterans teach casting techniques to the kids and listen to the interaction between the generations.”

“I really believe the veterans had more fun than the kids,” Fehr said. “I know I did.”

After the event, Fehr said, Legion and VFW members noted how respectful the kids were.

“Their interaction with us did our hearts good,” she stated. “That is a testament to the parents.”

The top three finishers in each age category are as follows:

Ages 0-5 category: 1^st, Geri Glenzer, 6 ½-inch perch; 2^nd, Declar Lampe, 5 ½-inch sunfish; 3^rd, Declar Lampe, 5-inch sunfish.

Ages 6-9: 1^st, Delaney Lampe, 10-inch perch; 2^nd, Samuel Hasenberg, 9-inch perch; 3^rd, Noa Glenzer, 7 ½-inch sunfish.

Ages 10-12: 1^st, Brianna Butalla, 7-inch perch; 2^nd, Brianna Butalla, 6 ¾-inch perch; 3^rd, Noah Sanders, 6 ¼-inch sunfish.

“Honorable mention went to Declar Lampe for catching a bass that was almost as big as he was,” Fehr said.

Fehr noted that the event was made possible by the following sponsors: Aquatic Arts Fishing Pro Shop, Chuck’s Sport Shop, Dairy Queen, Joe's Kwik Mart, Kracker Barrel, Milo's, Somo Fish and Game Club, Trig’s, Wally Bolinga, the Wisconsin DNR, WJJQ, American Legion Post 93 and VFW Post 2687.