Mt. Laurel bus driver Gary Kelmer led the 22nd annual fishing derby event for students and their families during spring break
Mt. Laurel school bus driver Gary Kelmer welcomed students and families to join him in the 22nd annual fishing derby at the Willowmere Community’s pond, on Mallard Drive, on Tuesday. Celebrating his 25th year as a bus driver with Mt. Laurel schools, Kelmer said the event is his way of giving back to the kids and the communities.
Every year since 1995, Kelmer has invited students and their families to spend an afternoon during spring break to throw out a line and catch some fish. According to Kelmer, typically the event has about 26 to 27 families attend. This year, he said, the turnout was above average.
“It’s grown in participation every year. I try to get the young anglers involved,” Kelmer said. “I mention fishing pretty much every day on the bus.”
Among Kelmer, fishing enthusiast, were various expert fishermen and volunteers lending a hand to those who needed help reeling in a fish, hooking a worm on the line, casting out to the pond or even taking hold of the caught fish for photos, for those who wouldn’t dare touch them.
Many kids were there for the first time, never having fished before, with the hopes of catching their first fish to show Kelmer, or “Mr. Gary,” as many called him.
“I’ve never been fishing before. My favorite bus driver came here and that’s why I wanted to come fishing,” Jasmine Jackson-Loper, 6, said. “My favorite bus driver is Mr. Gary, and he gives us lots of candy.”
When Jasmine caught her first fish, she ran up to Kelmer to share the exciting news.
“This is my way of giving back to the community in a way that shows them the joys I have had in the outdoors with the environment, and showing them proper techniques in fishing,” Kelmer said.
According to Ryan Anderson, 15, the pond is home to many types of fish, such as bass, crappie, catfish, shad, bluegill and sunfish. This year was the third time Anderson has attended the event, and he said he was grateful to be there since it fell within his spring break.
“This is such a nice event,” Rhoda Mathias said, watching her two grandsons Luke, 6, and Owen Delawter, 13, fish the pond. “Luke brought home the flier and he called me, ‘grandma, what are you doing on April 18?’”
Mathias helped her grandsons attach worms and lures to their fishing line, unhooked the bluegill fish Luke caught and explained to him what type of fish it was and the characteristics it had. She credited the fishing knowledge to her late husband, an avid outdoorsman.
“Years ago when I met my husband, who has passed away, he was an outdoorsman, fishing and hunting. He taught me everything I know about fishing, and I’ve shared it with my grandkids and now they love it,” Mathias said.
At the end of the event, Kelmer awarded prizes to those who caught the largest fish, the smallest fish and a bass. Prizes varied from new fishing poles to lures and fishing accessories.
Aside from the competition, however, many kids came to the event just to enjoy the outdoors and test their luck with their fishing skills.
“I go fishing just to catch fish and see new fish,” Adam Cavallaro, 8, said.
Adam said he would be happy catching any type of fish, but the largest he’s ever caught was a sunfish, saying, “It was tough to reel in.”
In addition to fishing, children and their families learned about the environment while helping to clean the areas along the shore and pond.
