HERRIN, Ill. — Around 100 youth anglers participated in the third annual Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) and Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 773 Take Kids Fishing Day on June 21 at Herrin Park.
Nearly 20 volunteers from LiUNA Local 773 and the surrounding community helped assemble rods and reels, bait hooks, walk the pond to assist participants and cook hot dogs throughout the day. Each youth participant took home a free rod and reel.
“It’s great for our membership—it gets them involved, engaged, and informed about what the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance is all about,” said Jerry Womick, LiUNA Local 773 business manager. “When these kids grow up, they might remember that it was the unions and the USA that made this event happen—not some other group. Even if they don’t end up joining the union or going into the trades, they’ll remember this day—and support us down the road when we have issues that are important to us.”
Womick said many families were surprised to learn the event was free, the lunch was provided, and the kids got to keep their fishing rods and reels.
“It’s a great event for our members and their kids and for the kids in the community to participate as well,” he said. “We’ve often found that without our partnership with the USA, some of these kids might not have the opportunity to get out and fish. The fact that they not only get to enjoy the experience but also take a fishing pole home—it’s a double bottom line win for these kids.”
The event was part of the USA’s Work Boots on the Ground program, which unites union members to volunteer their time to projects and events that help improve public access to and opportunities in the outdoors.
As Take Kids Fishing Day continues to grow each year in Herrin, Womick hopes it will continue to receive positive feedback from both the community and union volunteers.
“Volunteering at events like this is simply the right thing to do, it engages us with the community and it helps us partner with organizations like the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance,” he said. “It also shows our members the value that local unions and the unions as a whole have. If other groups aren’t doing this, they’re missing out on a great opportunity to engage with their membership.”
Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA): The USA is a union-dedicated, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose members hunt, fish, shoot and volunteer their skills for conservation. The USA is uniting the union community through conservation to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage. For more information, visit www.unionsportsmen.org or connect on Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram.
Work Boots on the Ground (WBG): WBG is the USA’s flagship conservation program that brings together union members willing to volunteer their time and expertise to conservation projects that improve and enhance public access to the outdoors, conserve wildlife habitat, restore America’s parks and mentor youth in the outdoors. The USA’s Work Boots on the Ground program works closely with federal, state and local agencies and other conservation groups to provide manpower needed to complete critical projects that may otherwise go undone.
