Rotary Club collecting fishing gear for youth

The Rotary Club of Long Beach has partnered with the Gulf Coast Youth Fishing Project to do a fishing pole drive.  They are collecting poles, nets, tackle boxes and lures to be given to children who are unable to afford them.  At press time, they had collected thirty-four poles, seven nets, five tackle boxes and lots of lures.  The hope is for this to be an ongoing project, with year-round collections of fishing items.

The Founder of the Gulf Coast Youth Fishing Project is Travis Allen, who used his lifelong passion as a way to give back to his community.  He also started The Gulf Coast Secret Fishing Report on Facebook, which he has used to collect donations.  So far, he has given away twenty-four poles to children in need, no questions asked.  He will accept any fishing accessories and is even skilled in repair of ones that may need it.

Long Beach Rotary Club President Jason Lindholm views this as an ongoing partnership. He views fishing as a way for kids to stay out of trouble, an activity that gives them a life-long way to feed their families.  Rotary Club Member Clint Edrington says he hopes that, in the future, they will be doing giveaways in Long Beach Harbor, with a chance to show the children how to use the poles and fish, as well.

Those who have children in need of a fishing pole are encouraged to contact Travis Allen at 228-365-2387. 

Those who have a fishing pole or any other fishing accessory to donate may bring them to Lindholm Wealth Management at 19017 Pineville Road in Long Beach.  The Long Beach Rotary Club meets the second Tuesday of each month at Bulls Restaurant, and visitors are always welcome.