Grab your poles, bring your kids and come on out for some good ol' fun, family fishing at Granite Regional Park.

I am proud to say thanks to myself, a few other volunteers, and several sponsors, the Annual Gone Fishin’ Derby – an event held at Granite Regional Park for the past five years – will continue its sixth derby this year despite the bad economy and the Director’s medical conditions. The event will take place on Saturday, August 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Granite Point area of Granite Regional Park and is open to the public. Refreshments will be provided at no cost, along with loaner fishing poles from the Department of Fish and Game for those needing it. Children’s prizes will be rewarded for various fishing contests, and raffle prizes will be available for adults who wish to purchase tickets. In addition, a clothes drive will be held to benefit the St. John’s Shelter for Women & Children.

The Gone Fishin’ Derby event first started in 2003 by Tom Burruss, a local community member and activist formally with the Avondale Action Committee. Tom noticed the lack of community events for kids and families in the neighborhood and decided to put together a fishing derby, an event the community can be proud of to call their own. Tom, a one-man-shop (with assistance from his wife), coordinated the event from his home with his own personal funds, along with some donations from WalMart.

This year’s event was originally going to be cancelled due to Tom’s limited mobility access in preparation for his hip replacement surgery. It was then when a friend agreed to pledge $1,000 for the event, while others agreed to help coordinate the event. From there, several local businesses and organizations stepped up pledging to sponsor additional funds.

“The volunteer staff, Department of Fish and Game and the businesses within the Power Inn corridor who have stepped up to make this event happen are prime examples of a community that cares deeply about its youth,” says Tom. “It gives me great pleasure to know that something I started can now be carried on by some very caring and generous people. For that I thank all who are involved.”

The Annual Gone Fishin’ Derby is currently an unincorporated association that is applying for their non-profit 501(c)3 exempt status. The group presently consists of four individuals who are diligently volunteering their time to make this year’s event the best yet.

To learn more about the Annual Gone Fishin’ Derby or to pre-register, visit www.gonefishinderby.org or contact Tom Burruss at (916) 392-0154 or via e-mail at tomburruss@comcast.net.

To view St. John’s Shelter’s wish list, please visit www.stjohnsshelter.org.

Sponsors: BLT Enterprises, HDR|The Hoyt Company, Jackson Properties, Power Inn Alliance, Granite Park Partners, Teichert, Stonebridge Properties, and WalMart