Setup under way for Boys & Girls Clubs' Fish-O-Rama

Setup is well under way for the 10th Annual Fish-O-Rama, an annual fundraiser benefitting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cedar Rapids. The event takes place this weekend, August 4 & 5 at Robbins Lake on the corner of Ellis Blvd and Edgewood Rd NW. Gates open at 6:00 am and fishing begins at 7:00 am both days. Registration is currently taking place at the lake from noon to 8:00 pm today, and Friday, from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm. Participants can also register online by visiting our website at www.bgccr.org. With the tents set and the prizes on display, the fish will soon arrive. All media is invited to be there as the fish are dispensed into the lake at 5:00 pm Friday.

The planning committee for Fish-O-Rama is extremely grateful to the City of Cedar Rapids for all they have done to aid in preparing Robbins Lake for the event. With the arrival of RAGBRAI last week and the extreme hot weather this summer, a few extra preparations were required for this year's event. Daniel Gibbins, Director of Parks & Recreation and his staff kicked it into high gear after RAGBRAI left town last Friday, making sure the park was clean and ready for the move-in of Fish-O-Rama less than a week later. Also, the high temperatures and lack of rain this summer have caused the water level to drop and the water temperatures to be above normal. To counter these issues, BGCCR reached out to the City for their assistance in preparing the lake appropriately. Craig Hanson with Public Works agreed to have his employees run pumps to move water from the lagoon into Robbins Lake and donate 600 sand bags to keep the water from escaping. These efforts will help raise the water level and regulate the temperature. As set up finishes, we look forward to a successful weekend of fishing and invite all to join us!