On Saturday, May 13th the Kiwanis Club of Vero-Treasure Coast welcomed 95 youth ages 5-12 to the Annual Kiwanis Take a Kid Fishing Tournament.  Held under the Barber Bridge in Vero Beach club members, parents and their children all had lots of fun.  Fishing Chairman Tom McMahon and his committee members distributed fishing rods, helped bait the lines, and measured each catch. Kiwanis members also served 100 box lunches and 48 slices of pizza. The winners were:

5 -8-year-olds:

Most Fish -Jameson Baker with 16

Biggest Fish - Dorian Moody with a 16” fish.

Ugliest Fish - Southern Summers with a toadfish

Smallest - Alex Borz ½ “crab

9–12-year-olds:

Most Fish - Jesus Cano with 4

Biggest Fish - Lillian Amato with a 14” fish.

Ugliest Fish - Aven Rojas with a 10 ½ “puffer fish

Smallest Fish - Jesus Salinas with a ½ “clam.

Club President Doug Vitunac offered special thanks and praise to club members Tom McMahon, Chuck Horner, Robbie Robinson, Mark Sammartino, Al Sammartino, Richard Schlitt, Tim Wright, Luke Sammartino, Martin Gonzales, Jeff Myers, Matt MacClaren, Mark Olbrycht, Winnie Shannon, Stu Keiller, Jim Wolfe, Matt Hamilton, and Cheryl Warriner.

Vitunac shared that after the tournament when awards were given out, a grandfather came to me and said, “Thanks Kiwanis for what you all did putting this thing on.  My grandson won an award and he’s walking with his chest out now.  He told me before it started, ‘grandad, it’s ok if we don’t win anything, because it’s fun being with you fishing, but wouldn’t it be cool if we did win one of those trophies’, and now he’s really standing tall”.

Kiwanis thanks Minuteman Press for donating printing costs and Strunk Funeral Home for lunch expenses.

Kiwanis has been serving children in Indian River County for 50 years.  To learn more about Kiwanis visit www.verokiwanis.com