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Take Kids Fishing Day hooks hundreds of young people, their families.Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours.High around 85F.Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.Chance of rain 50%..Members of IBEW Local 317 and their families volunteered for the event.Tying lines, baiting hooks, offering advice and serving up lunch for the over 200 youth and their families in attendance.Participants like Waylon M., shown here on June 6, 2026, make it an annual tradition to attend the event with their families and friends.Courtesy of Kate Nation Families line the shore at the 8th Annual Tri-State Take Kids Fishing Day on June 6, 2026.Courtesy of Kate Nation Members of IBEW Local 317 and their families volunteered for the event.Tying lines, baiting hooks, offering advice and serving up lunch for the over 200 youth and their families in attendance.LAVALETTE — More than 200 children and their families gathered at Beech Fork State Park on June 6 for the 8th Annual Tri-State Take Kids Fishing Day hosted by IBEW Local 317.The free community event brought together families from West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky for a day of fishing.Through a partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, which stocked the lake the morning of the event, more than 200 children experienced the excitement of catching a fish, many for the very first time, according to a news release about the event.Every youth participant went home with a free fishing pole, and all attendees had a complimentary lunch provided by volunteers from Local 317.“For a lot of these kids, this is their first chance to get outdoors and try fishing,” Josh Bills, IBEW Local 317 membership development representative and the lead coordinator for the event, said in the release.“That’s what makes this so rewarding.You’re not just teaching a skill; you’re creating memories for families and introducing kids to something they may carry with them for the rest of their lives.” Bills has volunteered at the event since its inception in 2015 and has led on-the-ground volunteer efforts for the past four years.He said the event continues to grow because of the strong community support behind it.For IBEW Local 317 Business Manager Shane Wolfe, the event represents an opportunity to strengthen community connections while demonstrating the values of organized labor.“Getting out there gives us a chance to show the community who the IBEW is beyond just an acronym,” Wolfe said in the release.“These events help people see our members as neighbors, mentors and volunteers who care deeply about the communities we work in.” According to organizers, this year’s event brought many first-time attendees and generated overwhelmingly positive feedback from parents and families throughout the day.One especially memorable moment came when a longtime participant landed a freshwater drum.Organizers were able to recreate a photograph taken years earlier of the same young man proudly holding a small bluegill at a previous Take Kids Fishing Day event.“To see that kid come back years later and recreate that photo was pretty special,” Bills said in the release.“It shows the lasting impact these events can have.” “Events like these mean a lot to our members and their families,” Wolfe said in the release.“They remind me of the union picnics we had 25 or 30 years ago.Now we’re seeing kids who attended those events become members, and they’re volunteering their time to help the next generation experience the outdoors.” Take Kids Fishing Day is part of USA’s Work Boots on the Ground initiative, a conservation program that brings together union members to volunteer their time and skills for conservation projects and events that benefit communities nationwide.