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16th Annual Friends of Hickam Keiki Fishing Tournament

By Tech. Sgt. Aaron Oelrich, 15th Wing Public Affairs / Published June 09, 2015

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HO`OMALUHIA BOTANICAL GARDENS, KANEOHE -- The 16th Annual Friends of Hickam Keiki Fishing Tournament took place June 5, 2015.

More than 100 members from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and their children participated in the free fishing tournament hosted by "Friends of Hickam," an organization seeking to support, promote, and foster strong community relations with military families.

"Our mission is to act as a liaison between the Hawaii community and the Airmen from Hickam Field," said Blane Asao, Friends of Hickam vice president. "Fish is a big thing we have here in Hawaii, everyone here grows up doing it. That is why we thought it would be a nice thing for Friends of Hickam to be responsible for kids caching their first fish in some cases. When you look at the faces of these kids when they catch their first fish, it is awesome. "

For the tournament, children ages 5-12 used bamboo-fishing poles to catch small mouth bass, catfish, red devilfish and tilapia.

"This is my third time and I am the defending champion catching 21 fish this year. I like how everyone is competing and having fun," said Cody Dela Cruz, who caught the most fish in his age group.

However, not all the participants had been fishing before.

"This was my first time fishing. It was fun I liked catching the fish and getting a trophy," said Wyatt Provamce, won third place for biggest fish in his age group.

While only a few children received trophies, ever child walked away with a new fishing pole and a fishing story and the parents left with a memory made with their children.