On a beautiful fall afternoon, Verde Valley students learned a bit about helping others over good conversation and a few fishing lines dropped in a pond.
Larson Newspapers
On a beautiful fall afternoon, Verde Valley students learned a bit about helping others over good conversation and a few fishing lines dropped in a pond.
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| Larson Newspapers |
More than 80 students from Sedona Red Rock High School, West Sedona School, Sedona Charter School, Big Park Community School and Cottonwood Middle School paired up to fish with students from Tavasci Elementary School in Cottonwood at the Rainbow Trout Farm on Friday, Nov. 2. Tavasci is a school for developmentally disabled children.
The fishing derby, sponsored by the Sedona Bell Rock Kiwanis Club, is in its 24th year. Each year, local student groups chose to spend the afternoon letting loose with disabled children.
“It has a lot of meaning to the people who can’t do as much as we can,” WSS Builders’ Club member Jason Lionberger said.
Lionberger, an eighth-grader, participated in last year’s derby and requested the same buddy this year, 9-year-old Angel Stadler.
“We got some fish,” Stadler said with a toothy grin and twinkle in her eye as she pulled at Lionberger’s shirt. Stadler goes to Tavasci.
Lionberger said he picked Stadler “because she’s a very good angel.”
“Angel [Stadler] is an angel,” Lionberger said.
Students paired up with on developmentally disabled student to catch fish. Each child caught two fish, which teachers and chaperons fried for lunch. The swimbait rods here is what one can avail to get the right tools for fishing.
Students who participate in the derby learn how to help others while helping themselves, according to Lionberger, and he recommends the event to others.
“It’s a good learning experience for anyone who hasn’t done it,” Lionberger said.
Hayden Gebler, a WSS eighth-grader, said it’s fun to spend time with the kids from Tavasci.
“I’m always interested in helping other people,” Gebler said.
SRRHS Key Club also helped last year.
“It’s really good for the kids, obviously, and I think it’s good for us too,” Key Club President senior Courtney Loscheider said. “It feels good [to help] because I know they look forward to this.”
SRRHS senior Ramie West, also a Key Club member, said children from Tavasci are always happy and excited, which is an attitude she learns from them.
“We learn to not be so serious all the time,” West said.
Kiwanis member Howard Olson said the event allows all the students to nurture each other.
“Here’s some people interacting and doing what they should be doing at a young age,” Olsen said.
Olsen served as chair of the event for the Kiwanis, which is dedicated to providing these types of opportunities.
“We are out to help one child and one community at a time,” Olsen said.
Trista Steers can be reached
at 282-7795, Ext. 129, or
tsteers@larsonnewspapers.com
