Even though Saturday’s annual Heavenly Fish Fest hosted by Our Lady Queen of Heaven School was a competition, the focus wasn’t really on winners and losers. The event was more about families enjoying a stress-free day at Prien Lake Park, soaking up sun and reeling in fish. The event was also a fundraiser, with the proceeds going toward the school’s future endeavors.

Still, it was hard to ignore the fact that there were some competitors out there who wanted to win. Just ask Corey Hebert, the father of three young boys all participating in the event. Each one of them wanted to win. More importantly, they wanted to beat each other.

“See? That one right there. I caught that one,” Corey’s son Briggs said as they opened their chest containing the day’s haul.

Briggs, 7, is the youngest of the trio, and his talent with the rod and reel might be the best of the bunch, according to his father. Briggs stood next to older brother Jacob, 13, as they held up their fish and smiled for nearby cameras. The other brother, Riley, 10, didn’t do so bad in the competition either.

“They all caught something today, so that was a good thing,” Hebert said as he put the fish back in the container. “We’ve been out here each year they’ve had this event. We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Out of the three, Briggs caught the largest fish of the day. While fishing may seem like a sport that would be hard for kids to master, considering how it takes time and patience, Hebert said his sons got the hang of it pretty easily.

“Briggs has a natural talent. If there’s fish out there, he’s going to catch it,” Hebert said. “The boys have always loved it. They all kind of naturally took to it. There’s a little arguing in the boat every now and then, but they definitely have the hang of it.”

Monsignor James Gaddy, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church, was the inspiration and the driving force behind the fundraiser. Included in the event were fried-fish lunches, prizes and gift bags. The items included tackle boxes for the kids and gift certificates for the adults. Gaddy didn’t go out on the water Saturday. Instead, he stayed on the shore and spent time checking on each participant.

“This really is a great event for the entire family, especially for the kids,” he said. “Each year we do this, the families always say they have a good time, and that’s what this is all about.”

The event was held at Calcasieu Point in the past. Gaddy said that even though the families loved the old location, the change in scenery was well received. He said there are constantly new ideas being tossed around concerning the event to make it better for local residents.

“This is for everybody,” Gaddy said. “For people that hear about it but haven’t come, just know that it’s a great event for the family. There’s great good, great fishing and great prizes.”

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Online: www.edline.net/pages/Our_Lady_Queen_of_Heaven.(Rick Hickman/American Press)