Fish-A-Thon :: History
Through out the history of the Cupertino host lion's club lions have sought ideas and created programs of interest to the community. Many have grown with time and grow in importance to the community served. One such is the fish-a-thon.
Lion Pete Camarda, an avid outdoorsman, believed that there is a segment of our society that does not have access, because of physical, mental or emotional development, to some of life's out of doors pleasures; namely fishing. In 1960 Lion Pete arranged with David Voss, a fishing picnic. A few disadvantaged young people were invited to the picnic at the Voss Stevens Creek Quarry for a day of fishing in a small lake on the property. Members who had some fishing skills and were interested in a new community program volunteered to assist; not knowing exactly what would be involved. With only a few rough edges, the fish-a-thon was a delight to the kids who had never had the opportunity to even try this activity. They loved it. As springs came and went the fish-a-thon grew into what it is today. The fishing pond at the Stevens creek quarry has been improved each year with dredging, grading and water level controls installed to keep fresh spring water to replenish the water environment of the trout that are planted a few days before the event.
There are sufficient trout planted but the state fish hatcheries to allow several other groups including religious sisters who enjoy a day engaging them selves in an outdoor sport not readily available to them. The target group has long been the focus of the program and most organizations in the greater San Jose area know of this event and make arrangements for their charges to enjoy this amazing experience. Several days are spent in preparing the fishing area around the pond; fishing spots are marked to minimize the crowding of eager fishermen. A dinner is prepared for the workers on Friday night and breakfast is shared by all of the workers. At 8:00am, the fishermen arrive to the assigned helpers who direct them to the fishing area. They are supplied with fishing equipment including a rod and reel, bobber and hook with salmon eggs. The young fishermen are taken to a marked spot on the banks of the trout pond and are assisted by a fisherman helper. The trout limit varies from 5 to 6 trout depending on the estimate of size. Each of the 60 to 90 fishermen gets to fish until they get their limit. This can be very quick, as the fish are hungry. The trout are cleaned and iced and each fisherman is photographed with his or her catch and then they are invited to a very tasty lunch and then take their fish home.
The ages of the fishermen varies from 4 years to well beyond 60 years. They are all young at heart and truly love the experience. For many it is the first time that someone took their time to provide this kind of opportunity to actually catch a fish, clean it and take it home for dinner. Many parents did not realize that their offspring could actually engage in this kind of activity and truly enjoy it! They can hardly wait for the next year's event where they can do it all over again and have even more joy.
