HOFNOD event draws more than 1,000 children | News, Sports, Jobs

ELKINS — Immediately after a two-yr absence owing to COVID-19, the yearly Hooked On Fishing Not On Medicine occasion returned with a bang to the Phil Gainer Local community Center on Saturday.
“I’d say we had three times the participation we had back again in 2019, and again then we experienced about 400 children occur to HOFNOD. It’s safe to say we experienced about 1,000 young children show up at final weekend’s celebration,” Chris Lee, facility manager of the Phil Gainer Neighborhood Centre, explained to The Inter-Mountain Tuesday.
“To give a little little bit of an plan of how numerous young children we had arrive out this calendar year, in 2019 we experienced 49 occur via the capturing selection. This 12 months we experienced 150 occur by. We well prepared 600 smores for children, so it was going on and the area to be on Saturday,” he explained. “I’m thrilled with the way it turned out.”
The Elkins Parks and Recreation Fee and the Randolph County Spouse and children Source Network took about HOFNOD prior to the 2019 party and during that time built a determination to return it to what it utilised to be, a gala that steered small children towards out of doors recreation and away from medication.
“All of the Crisis Response people are an integral component of what we are hoping to do with HOFNOD,” Lee stated. “To be in a position to have our local law enforcement officers and firefighters at the party and interacting with youngsters is what it is all about. It is genuinely amazing to see the kids construct interactions with our police and firefighters.”
Lee claimed the celebration would have not been attainable if not for the guidance of lots of volunteers.
“The group definitely supported the party and the little ones came out and had a blast,” Lee reported. “We experienced so many enterprises that participated by donating doorway prizes and our key sponsors, the Nationwide Rifle Association, the Randolph County Fee, EPRC and FRN, were a major part in earning it occur. It was a definitely great and impactful function for the community.”
Young children attending the party bought to get part in lots of activities, including the aforementioned capturing variety, a fishing tank, and a climbing tower, wherever there was a line of kids all day extended, Lee explained.
“Other than the out of doors-themed functions the kids had been ready to enjoy, some of the local law enforcement departments also introduced some neat matters for the little ones to get aspect in,” Lee said. “The Elkins Police Office brought their emergency reaction car and the children had been genuinely making the most of checking that factor out. And the Sheriff’s Department experienced a actually neat DUI simulator sort issue the place the young children experienced to place on goggles and experience a bicycle close to a track.”
Lee stated irrespective of the massive turnout, he would like to make the event bigger and much better.
“We are actively hoping to recruit board associates and make HOFNOD a non-earnings so we can pursue extra grant opportunities,” Lee explained. “More grant opportunities signifies more revenue, which indicates we can do a lot more points of interest and additional features for the little ones to love.”









