Exploring the Ozarks Outdoors: freshare.net

“Operation Small Fry” A Lasting Tribute to Lawman’s Love of Kids & Fishing

First posted on 08-24-2007

Sgt. John Wright’s friends and family are determined to preserve his legacy.

KEARNEY, Mo.-Sgt. John Wright was known as a committed lawman, a caring mentor and a devoted conservationist. If his family and his many friends have anything to say about it, he will be remembered as a man who gave his all to make sure that children had positive role models and wholesome outdoor fun.

Wright, a deputy with the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, died of a heart attack May 17. His co-workers remember him as the embodiment of strong, positive values - family, integrity, love and commitment.

It is not surprising, then, that in 1996 he set out to do something for at-risk children in his community by establishing Operation Small Fry. The program paired deputies and children for a day of fishing at Clay County Highway Department Lake. Kids who didn’t own fishing equipment got a free rod and reel, a tackle box and a picnic lunch. Much more important, they got the undivided attention of caring adults who showed them how to bait a hook, cast and land fish. It gave children who were at risk of getting into trouble with the law a positive experience with law officers and a vision of possibilities beyond their sometimes bleak daily experience.

Over the years, Wright expanded the program to include any child between the ages of 5 and 14. Today they accept 150 youngsters each year on a first-come, first-served basis. The program kept Wright busy throughout the year.

“He worked all year getting sponsors and equipment and making all the arrangements for that one day,” recalls coworker Deputy Tracy Wade. “Then he would start again the next day.”

His role as the heart and soul of Operation Small Fry won Wright the title “Master Conservationist” from the Missouri Department of Conservation. The agency bestows that honor on a tiny minority of the states’ elite citizen conservationists.

The shock of Wright’s death stunned his friends and family. His loss seemed unimaginable. The end of Operation Small Fry was unthinkable. So his wife and son, his comrades at the Sheriff’s Department and his cadre of volunteers rallied to take over the event. It will take place Sept. 8, as scheduled.

Wright’s coworkers went a step farther to ensure that his legacy lives on. They built a picnic shelter as a permanent home for Operation Small Fry at Clay County Highway Department Lake.

“We got it ready in time for this year’s Operation Small Fry,” said Wade. “It is a great tribute to a great man. We are very grateful to all those who helped make it possible.”

For information about Operation Small Fry, visit http://www.claycogov.com/smallfry/sponsors, or contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, Attention Dep. Tracy Wade, 12 S. Water St., Liberty, MO 64068, phone (816) 407-3700.

-Jim Low-

To check hunting and fishing seasons listed on the Outdoor Calendar, visit http://mdc.mo.gov/seasons

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