By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MARCH 31, 2023 | The Berkeley Lake community is planning to honor veterans of the area by hosting a VALOR outing for them, that is a Veterans Appreciation Lake Outing and Refreshments, on May 6. They’ll serve a breakfast, barbecue lunch and allow veterans to fish the 88 acre lake that day.
Berkeley Lake Mayor Lois Salter says that though the city gets many requests from outsiders to fish the lake, and “It’s not normally allowed. But on this day, we’ll open the lake to veterans for fishing.” She adds: “We’ll provide them with breakfast, fishing gear, take them out in boats, or let them fish from the dock, and then have barbecue for lunch.”
She says that the event will be a fundraiser for the Disabled American Veterans non profit. “We’re asking anyone who wants to help veterans to contribute a minimum donation of $50 to help raise this money. We are also seeking sponsors from individuals and companies for the day.” Sponsorships start at $250.
The mayor has asked Rex Spitler to coordinate the activities, and he is working with the local homeowner’s association. “The mayor has been thinking about this since before Covid. People of the community are volunteering their time and their boats to take the fishermen out. We hope to raise between $5-10,000 to support the DAV.”
The overall event is an activity of the Berkeley Lake Homeowners Association. The Blossoms, a ladies’ organization in Berkeley Lake, will be welcoming participants at breakfast, directing people to the boats, and serving lunch.
Billy Lyons is president of the Homeowner’s Association. He says: “We are proud to be helping with this day and getting response from the residents and companies. We’ll provide the boats and equipment, or fish from the dock. We look forward to our residents coming out and supporting the veterans.”
Buddy Booker, a local resident, who still works full time in the computer field, is also the director of lake management for the Association. He regularly makes sure that the lake is managed property. “We have a fish feeder, which routinely flings food to the fish automatically, since it is on a timer. We have so many fish in the lake, we need to get some out, and hope the veterans will net plenty of them.”
What kind of fish are in the lake? Booker responds: “We’ve got largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill. The record for a bass from the lake is 12.45 pounds, and the largest catfish taken here is 24.5 pounds!
“For the crappie, the record is three pounds, but the best eating fish is the bluegill, and the largest taken here is 1.6 pounds.”
When the veterans go out fishing, Booker says that the event will supply them with a variety of artificial lures and worms, plus cut bait if they want to try for catfish. Booker is from Oklahoma, and has lived at Berkeley Lake for 20 years. He points out the dam at Berkeley Lake is the second largest earth day in the country.
What if it rains on May 6? Booker has the answer: “The fish don’t care. They’re already wet. But we have new open-air pavilion the veterans can fish from if it’s raining hard.”
Volunteers from the Association have hosted fishing for 40-50 kids each month in summer for the last eight years. The day for veterans will be an extension of this hospitality.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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