Alliance ministry hosts free fishing derby and baby shower at Silver Park
A free fishing derby is being used to pull families into a baby shower at Silver Park, with Kidwell Lake opening at 8 a.m. on June 27.
Family Empowerment Ministries is betting that fishing will bring in the crowd for its free baby shower at Silver Park in Alliance, turning Kidwell Lake into the entry point for an event aimed at new and expectant mothers and the families around them. The June 27 gathering will start with the fishing derby at 8 a.m., a setup meant to make the day feel like a community outing before it becomes a baby-shower stop.
That turnout strategy is the point. By pairing a baby shower with an activity that can attract dads, partners, grandparents and children, the ministry is widening the audience beyond the people who usually show up for maternal-health programming. The free format lowers another barrier, especially for families who might skip a more formal or invitation-only event tied to pregnancy and early parenting.
The mash-up is not a one-time experiment. In 2024, the event was billed as the 3rd annual Community Baby Shower & Fishing Derby, and Family Empowerment Ministries partnered with the Stark County Fatherhood Coalition to add family-oriented activities. A year earlier, the gathering was described as a Fishing Rodeo and Community Baby Shower at Silver Park, open to moms, dads and children of all ages from 8 a.m. to noon, with Kidwell Lake stocked with fish for the occasion.
That history shows a clear pattern in how the ministry is shaping the event. Each version has leaned harder into the fishing side to create a broader invitation, then used the baby shower to connect new and expectant mothers with support, encouragement and the sense that the community is invested in them. The outdoor setting matters, too. Silver Park gives the day a public, open feel instead of the more closed atmosphere that can come with a traditional baby shower.
Kidwell Lake already has a track record as a family fishing spot. Greater Alliance Carnation Festival fishing derbies there drew about 100 youngsters in 2025 and about 125 in 2024, proof that the park can handle a youth-heavy crowd and that fishing events already have a foothold in Alliance. Family Empowerment Ministries is building on that habit, using a familiar local draw to bring people to a baby shower they might not otherwise have attended.
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