A child runs during a previous Take Kids Fishing Day in Marietta. This year’s event is slated for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Buckeye Park. (Photo Provided)

MARIETTA — Local union members will offer area youth a free fishing opportunity Saturday at Buckeye Park.

The annual Take Kids Fishing Day is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park at 113 W. Fay Ave.

The free event is organized by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 972 and the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, under its Work Boots on the Ground conservation program, and sponsored by the Ohio AFL-CIO.

It’s open to the public, with pre-registration at https://fishmarietta2024.eventbrite.com recommended but not required, said Kyle Blinn, organizer with IBEW Local 972.

The first 150 kids ages 2 to 15 will receive a free fishing rod and reel. All participants must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or chaperone.

Blinn said the event’s been going on locally for eight or nine years. It’s an opportunity “to see kids get out and get off of the screens and see some of the outdoors,” he said. “It’s something I think’s lost on a lot of our youth today.”

Union volunteers will be on hand to provide instructions and assistance, especially for those new to fishing.

“A lot of them I think it’s their first time,” Blinn said. “Sometimes I think it’s the first time for them and their parents.”

There will also be snacks and a luncheon for the children and their families.

According to a release from the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, fishing is a sport that participants can enjoy throughout their lifetimes. Research has shown that outdoor-related activities such as fishing create participatory pathways for children to experience nature and help kindle a lifelong interest in environmental conservation.

It’s also an activity that makes an economic impact. About 18% (1.7 million) of Ohio’s adults fished in 2022, and Ohio’s anglers combined to spend $5.5 billion in 2022 and supported more than 34,000 jobs, the release said, citing a report from the Wildlife Management Institute, Responsive Management, and Southwick Associates.