From: Hooked On Fishing International
http://www.fishingworld.com

Hooked On Fishing International offers derby locator for youth seeking Wal-Mart Kids All-American Fishing Derby events.

With more and more events produced each year it is now easier than ever for the nation's young anglers to find a Wal-Mart Kids All-American Fishing Derby event in their neighborhood. To locate information on a specific event, Hooked On Fishing International (HOFI), the producers of the Wal-Mart Kids All-American Fishing Derby, offer their Derby Locator on http://www.fishingworld.com, the official website of the program.

"A big part of getting kids fishing is helping them find where they can do it," said Gordon Holland, executive director of HOFI. "That's where the derby locator comes in." With the help of his or her parents, a youngster simply needs to enter their zip code and the locator will display the events nearest to their area. Included in the results displayed are the date, time and location of the derby as well as contact information for the hosting organization.

As an added benefit to parents, the locator will also identify the nearest Wal-Mart store, which, in most cases, hosts pre-registration for the local events. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the title sponsor of the Kids All-American Fishing Derby program and works closely with the community groups that put on the events.

"Though more than 1,800 sanctioned events will be held from April through October, the majority occur during National Fishing & Boating Week, June 1 through June 8," said Holland. Throughout the year, an estimated 300,000 young anglers will congregate on the nation's ponds, lakes, rivers and coastal fisheries to participate in Wal-Mart Kids All-American Fishing Derby events.

In addition to the derby locator, visitors to kids-fishing.com can also learn about the conservation programs that run in conjunction with the derbies. Details are outlined about the new "Fish & Pitch" program from EverStart Batteries and the "Fish, Photograph & Release" program from Fujifilm, U.S.A. Three contests, also spelled out on the website, add to the fun and excitement of the derbies. These are the Zebco "Kids Casting Contest," the Fujifilm "Big Fish Contest" and the "I Caught A Fish Contest."

In its 17th year, HOFI recruits the efforts of adult volunteers all over the country to make fishing fun and accessible for youngsters and their families. These volunteers come from organizations such as parks and recreation departments, chambers of commerce, community service organizations, fish and wildlife agencies and the U.S. Forest Service.

The efforts of these organizations are complemented by the generous support of the corporate partners of the Kids All-American Fishing Derby. In addition to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., sponsors include Bar-S Foods Co., Berkley PowerBait, ConAgra Foods, Dubble Bubble Bubble Gum, Eagle Claw, EverStart Batteries, FishingWorld.com, Fujifilm, U.S.A., Johnson & Johnson First Aid Pocket Pals, Kellogg's, Kraft Foods, Laker Fishing Tackle, Berkley Trilene and Zebco.

Organizations interested in learning more about the Wal-Mart Kids All-American Fishing Derby or hosting a sanctioned event in 2004 can get the information from the website, http://www.fishingworld.com.

For further information, contact Gordon Holland
Phone: (918) 782-4313
Fax: (918) 782-4324
Email: info@kids-fishing.com