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Fundraising Fishing Derby at Purden Lake

Unfortunately, everyone has been touched by cancer one way or another and to honour those who have been lost and those who have survived, Environmental Dynamics Inc.
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Bob Redden and Susan Norman from EDI Environmental Dynamics show off some of the prizes for their Charity Fishing Derby being held at Purden Lake on Saturday May 26 to raise awareness and funds for the Canadian Cancer Society's Kordyban Lodge in Prince George.

Unfortunately, everyone has been touched by cancer one way or another and to honour those who have been lost and those who have survived, Environmental Dynamics Inc. (EDI) is hosting their third annual Charity Fishing Derby at Purden Lake on Saturday, May 26.

This is EDI's ninth annual Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser and so far they've raised $75,000.

"We were looking for something to do that was meaningful and we decided to get serious about fundraising," CEO Bob Redden said.

The goal for the upcoming fishing derby is to raise $10,000 and the target is to donate the money to the Kordyban Lodge.

EDI was founded in 1994 by Dwight Hickey who passed away suddenly from cancer in 2001. Jennifer, wife of Jason Yarmish, senior biologist for EDI, is a cancer survivor, so the disease hits close to home for the entire company.

When Redden bought a 2011 local lottery ticket with proceeds going to the Prince George branch of the Canadian Cancer Society, he told Jennifer if he won he'd donate the proceeds right back to the society.

"Things just happen for the right reasons, right?" Redden said about having the winning ticket.

With the $25,000 lottery money, Redden promptly donated $15,000 right back to the society and gave the remaining $10,000 to Jennifer who aimed the donation at items specifically to go into Kordyban Lodge.

"Jennifer figured out from her own experience what was really needed for families who go to the lodge because she had to go to Kelowna for her treatment and their whole family went including their three kids," Redden said.

Jennifer put the money towards laundry facilities and games and books for children who stay at Kordyban Lodge with their parents who are undergoing treatment at the Cancer Centre for the North in Prince George.

Over the last nine years, EDI has participated in the Relay for Life and held several golf tournaments. Three years ago they switched from the annual golf tournament to a fishing derby, which they found to be much more family friendly and was more appropriate for an environmental consulting company that employs many fishery biologists.

"We thought we would switch it up," Susan Norman, accounting and administration director, said about moving on from the golf tournaments to host the fishing derbies.

Mark Asquith, environmental consultant for EDI, has taken the lead on organizing the event, Norman said. The last two years have seen more than 100 people attend and the same numbers are expected this year. During the derby last year the biggest fish caught was 18 inches long.

The EDI Charity Fishing Derby, with main sponsorship from Canadian Tire and Packman & Associates Benefit Solutions, goes Saturday, May 27 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Purden Lake Provincial Park. Check in is before 9:30 a.m., lunch is served at noon and participants can submit their fish card by 3 p.m. and then enjoy a celebration.

To participate there is a minimum donation of $40 per person or $100 per family that includes lunch, provided by Wendy's who will also bring along children's activities. There is an opportunity to win several prizes and fish awards for adults and children. And fishers don't have to have the biggest or smallest fish, there is a hidden lengths award, too, and even one for someone who gets skunked. Value of the prizes are equally distributed between adults and children.

Fish prizes include an electric trolling motor, kayak, belly boat, inflatable life jacket, rods, tackle and gift cards and there are more than 30 door prizes for adults and children including a tackle box, one night at the Ramada, OVERhang memberships, jackets, shirts and a hatchet. There are raffle and silent auction items including a wine basket and a kid's bike.

For more information visit www.edynamics.com.