In the decade since Vamos a Pescar (Let’s Go Fishing) began with a handful of families and a simple mission of exposing Spanish speakers to the great outdoors, the event has grown tremendously in both attendance and its core messages, as was evident at the tenth anniversary event Saturday.
Beginning in 2016 at Camp Alexander, Vamos brought together a small gathering of Hispanic households to give them both a firsthand experience and education into the great outdoors, the activities that can be had within them and the laws and rules that individuals must follow. Since then, the event has had three different locations, thousands of attendees and numerous partnerships flourish over the last ten years.
Organizer Patricia Saenz Reyes of USD 253 Emporia Public Schools, one of the founders of the event, reflected on the origins of the event while speaking with KVOE News Saturday and says one of the things that stands out to her is how the focus went solely from education on the great outdoors, to emphasizing the importance of education in general thanks to the involvement of Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College.
As you can imagine, maintaining the event each year as it steadily grows is no easy task, with all of the organizers noting it can be an exhausting endeavor at times. However, Saenz-Reyes says they constantly receive reminders as to why they put so much effort into including a story from a local student on Saturday that she shared with KVOE News.
Fellow organizer Sally Sanchez of Hispanics of Today and Tomorrow, another of the originators of Vamos a Pescar, says one of the biggest pieces of the event the last ten years has been the connections they have made with families from all walks of life, saying they love to see them year after year.
Sanchez adds that even over the course of ten years, they continue to meet new families every year.
As mentioned, the event has moved locations over the years after starting at Camp Alexander and a brief three years at Peter Pan Park before finding its current home at the Emporia State University Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center (PAROC). PAROC Director Alex Hayes says Vamos has been one of the constants for the center since its inception and one that fit very naturally into their core mission.
While the message of Vamos has expanded along with its various community partners and attendees, it has still maintained its core value of exposing community members to the great outdoors and the list of activities Saturday, once again, focused heavily on that mission and included kayaking on King Lake, archery ranges, nature walks, and of course plenty of fishing. The tenth annual Vamos a Pescar will, for now, go down as the largest in its history, with more than 500 people stopping by over the course of the four-hour event.
When asked his thoughts about the turnout, organizer and host of What’s In Outdoors Phil Taunton, who, like Sanchez and Reyes, has been a part of the event since its inception, says it is clear that they are continuing to accomplish the goal they set out to meet a decade ago.
Taunton added that he is pleased to see so many people continue to take advantage of the opportunity year after year, noting that the great outdoors can often be just the space people need to escape some of the hardships that come throughout their lives.
In addition to the activities Saturday, the event also included free hot dogs and a lengthy list of prizes donated by local businesses and agencies.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE NewsÂ
