BRYANT, Ark. – It was a perfect afternoon to forget about your cares for a while and go fishin’.
In Bryant that becomes an opportunity for police officers to provide mentorship for kids.
The catch of the day isn’t just the fish stocked into the pond at Bishop Park in Bryant…
If they’re lucky, the casts going out are reeling in relationships.
“Cops and Bobbers” puts Bryant Police officers in a different line of duty and shows the children it’s not all about chasing bad guys.
“They’re bonding with the officers and we really wanted to change that perception,” said Karissa Stephens with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bryant. “That these police officers are community members that they can trust.”
Once a year the Bryant Boys and Girls Club pairs the kids with cops who lend a helping hand.
Nicholas Purifoy is one of the 500 kids the Bryant Boys and Girls Club takes in daily at each of their two locations.
According to the organization, more than 50 percent of the members come from single parent or broken homes.
Nicholas said, “There’s a couple of them that have mentioned that this is the first time fishing and I’m pretty sure they had fun today catching some fish.”
Some, if not most, don’t have a father figure or a strong family component at home. While this event lasts only a few minutes in the grand scheme of things, the day could be the biggest catch of them all.
Karissa added, “It takes one moment to make a difference in the life of a child.”
