Age Friendly Cold Lake (AFCL) scored some successes with their annual ice fishing tournament in February: 400 anglers came and had fun, and AFCL board chair Bonnie Folkard says it looks like a record year for fundraising.
But most important, she says, is the awareness the organization is raising about making communities friendly for older adults to live in. AFCL is a success story that is getting attention across the province, and they are looking for opportunities to cooperate with other service providers in the Lakeland region.
“Our services and our programs continue to have more awareness throughout our community, which is such a nice feeling because everybody gets excited about it. It’s not just us,” Folkard said.
The tournament has a limit of 400 participants, and when registrations open in November they sell out within a few hours.
“We actually put a countdown on the Cold Lake Ice Fishing Tournament page, and they follow that,” Folkard said. “It’s just like they’re going to buy tickets to a big concert.
“One angler told me he sat by his phone, he set his alarm for 5:45, made his coffee, and at six a.m. he was registering.”
The participants come from all over Alberta, and beyond. There was an angler who came from Manitoba, and another from Kamloops, BC. “And I think somebody had family that flew from Ontario to come and be a part of it,” Folkard said.
The funds raised through registration fees and a 50/50 draw are vital to AFCL’s operations, she said. While the organization relies on grant funding for many of its programs, grants come with specific parameters on how the money can be used. Most grants don’t fund staff positions or operating cost
Money raised by the organization itself can be used wherever it’s needed, though still subject to regulations for nonprofit agencies.
“This unrestricted funding is huge for us,” said Folkard. “We find so many different ways to properly distribute the unrestricted funds and manage that so we can keep our doors open. This really makes a huge difference for us every year.”
All fish caught by tournament participants must be released. Folkard said it’s important for the anglers to respect the fish and the lake.
The tournament is usually held on the Family Day weekend so anglers can put in a full day on the ice Sunday, and still have Monday to drive home. The date was changed this year to accommodate the Alberta Winter Games, but it will return to its usual dates for next year.
Folkard says the support of local businesses and sponsors from across Alberta make the event possible.
“We’ve got the most kind-hearted local businesses throughout Cold Lake, surrounding area, Lakeland, all the way down through Alberta. We really are blessed,” she said.
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If you love to look at smiling faces and big fish, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some great catches from the Cold Lake Ice Fishing Tournament. (Fish and newspapers have a long history together!) PHOTOS SUBMITTED
