Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club

Press release:

Join the Genesee County Parks along with the Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club and try out fishing at DeWitt Recreation Area from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 29th.

Kids up to age 16 can join the fun and get the chance to win a prize with the Kendra Haacke Memorial Fishing Derby, sponsored by the Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club. Prize includes fishing gear donated by Cabela’s of Cheektowaga.

No fishing license required, this is part of the NYSDEC’s Free Fishing Weekend. Perfect for beginners!

Program meets at Pavilion 3. Friendly guides will be on hand to assist you.

Fishing gear provided or bring your own. Bait provided through a generous donation by Walmart of Batavia.

Call 585-344-1122 register or walk-ins also welcome.

For more information visit the parks' website here, or contact Shannon Lyaski at Shannon.Lyaski@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Press release:

East Bethany – Join the Genesee County Parks along with the Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club and try out fishing at DeWitt Recreation Area from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 29th.

Kids up to age 16 can join the fun and get the chance to win a prize with the Kendra Haacke Memorial Fishing Derby, sponsored by the Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club. Prize includes fishing gear donated by Cabela’s of Cheektowaga.

No fishing license required, this is part of the NYSDEC’s Free Fishing Weekend. Perfect for beginners!

Program meets at Pavilion 3. Friendly guides will be on hand to assist you.

Fishing gear provided or bring your own. Bait provided through a generous donation by Walmart of Batavia.

Call 585-344-1122 register or walk-ins also welcome.

For more information visit the parks' website here, or contact Shannon Lyaski at Shannon.Lyaski@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Above photo: Derby winners Chloe Lutrell, age 8, who caught a 13” bass, and Jose Vanegas, age 16, who caught a 9 1⁄4” sunfish.

Submitted photos and press release:

Free Fishing Day and the Kendra Haacke Memorial Fishing Derby took place at DeWitt Recreation Area on Saturday, June 23rd.

A total of 44 kids ages 16 and under participated in the fishing derby, catching a variety of panfish and bass.

Prizes were awarded for the largest fish caught each by a boy and a girl.

This was the fifth annual Kendra Haacke Memorial Fishing Derby held at DeWitt Recreation Area. Each year the derby is sponsored by the Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club.

Friendly fishing guides were on hand to assist newbies with baiting a hook and learning how to fish. This event was the result of collaboration between Genesee County Parks, Recreation & Forestry, the Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club, and ACORNS.

Fishing tackle and bait were provided by a generous donation from Smith’s Great Outdoors, formerly Hunters Landing. Fishing poles were provided through a grant awarded by Cabela’s of Cheektowaga.

As part of the NYSDEC’s Free Fishing Weekend, no fishing license was required to participate.

Families from 10 local cities and towns including Rochester and Lancaster, joined in the free outdoor fun.

All participants received fishing tackle prizes, while each derby winner took home a new rod and reel and tackle box.

Derby winners: Chloe Lutrell, age 8, who caught a 13” bass; and Jose Vanegas, age 16, who caught a 9 1⁄4” sunfish.

Special thanks to the Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club, ACORNS, Cabela’s, and Smith’s Great Outdoors for making this event possible!

Press release:

Members of the Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club will be at Denny’s Restaurant on Main Street in Batavia on Wednesday, Oct. 19, to raise funds as part of Denny’s Benefit Night. From 4 to 9 p.m., Denny’s will donate 20 percent of all pre-tax sales directly to the club. Funds will be used to support the Oakfield-Alabama Lions program for vision screening.

According to Bill Barbur, president of Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club, “Money raised on October 19 will allow Lions to meet pressing needs in our community including screening school children for visions problems and aid for furnishing eyeglasses and hearing aids to the needy.

"Lions members thank everyone who contributes to this important work. This year were able to purchase our own SPOT eye screener and to date have screened 265 students with 23 having been referred for further testing. You are truly helping Lions make a difference in our community.”

The Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club has 29 members and meets on the third Thursday of each month at 6:45 p.m. at the Oakfield Hotel on South Pearl Street in Oakfield.

Lions clubs are a group of men and women who identify needs within the community and work together to fulfill those needs. For more information or to get involved with the Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club, please contact Bill Barbur at 585-948-9882 or Bonnie Woodward at 585-739-2928.

Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with more than 1.3 million members in approximately 45,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth throughout the world. For more information about Lions Clubs International, visit the website at www.lionsclubs.org.

Bell Barone (pictured below) was among the dozens of kids who turned out today for the annual Fishing Derby at DeWitt Recreation Area sponsored by the Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club.