SHORELINES

However, the fishing is the highlight for students and volunteers alike. e Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries organize the three-day event, with support from sponsors. Alabama Power helped start the program and has been a sponsor since its inception. "Alabama Power has been involved with this great event now for 24 years. It's grown each year, and students are just as excited to participate in this now as they were in the very beginning," Clelland said. In addition to helping students learn to fish, volunteers staffed different stations around the lake. Students fished in 30-minute rotations that included arts and cras, playtime, music and lunch. "Without the hard work of our volunteers and the support of the sponsors, this event would not be possible. We are very grateful for their help in enriching the lives of these students," said Doug Darr, aquatic education coordinator for the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. "ese students and volunteers are as excited and uplied as ever. e fish don't always bite, but the effort and energy are definitely there. As always, Alabama Power is thrilled to support this great event," said Kaylon Mikula, president of the Magic City chapter of the Alabama Power Service Organization. "We truly enjoyed the opportunity to serve." Johnson likes to tell one story about a student who participated in Exceptional Anglers more than a decade ago. Johnson saw the student, now a young man, and his father fishing one summer day and couldn't help but notice the stringer full of fish they had caught. "e young man told me he was part of this program with Jefferson County Schools 10 years prior and he had caught his first fish at that event," Johnson said. "I feel like he was truly inspired by this event to become a great fisherman." For more information about Exceptional Anglers, visit outdooralabama.com. 20 | 2019 Vol: 2

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