John Harcourt may have retired from the Cub Scouts last December, but the longtime New Castle resident isn’t slowing down. After 16 years in the valley, Harcourt remains dedicated to helping local kids through activities like the annual Kids’ Fishing Derby and the Scouting for Food Drive.

“I run the Kids’ Fishing Derby in New Castle at Alder Pond,” Harcourt said. “It’s the first Saturday in May and we usually get 100 to 130 kids competing in three different age brackets, kids 15 and under.”

The event draws support from 30 to 40 businesses, which collectively donate nearly $5,000 in prizes, including gift certificates, cash, and trophies from Grease Monkey. Harcourt personally thanks each business, underscoring how meaningful the Derby is to him.

A devoted fly fisherman, Harcourt’s passion for the sport stretches back decades.

“It’s a love of the outdoors but fly fishing to me is more like hunting,” Harcourt said. “You have to figure out where to stand, what flies to use, where the fish are, that sort of thing.”

Harcourt shares his expertise through community fly fishing courses and helps his son Dustin guide clients at their family business, Harcourt Fly Fishing 3G.

“The kids learned how to fly fish when they were two,” Harcourt said. “My son says he learned how to tie a fly before learning how to read.”

The Fishing Derby is a family affair. Harcourt’s wife plays a key role behind the scenes and shares his enthusiasm for fly fishing.

“We met after college,” Harcourt said. “Now we go to Alaska every year for two weeks.”

Their grandson has already joined the family tradition, making and selling his own flies since he was nine.

“I make my own flies too, out of feathers and thread,” Harcourt said. “My favorite time to get out is March, on the Colorado River, where I can just slip out for a couple hours during the day, but I’m falling more in love with Eagle River.”

Beyond fishing, Harcourt organizes the Scouting for Food Drive, which he started 15 years ago to teach kids the value of community service.

“I still run it,” Harcourt said. “Back then the population was 3,000 people and we went door to door with a bag of food on the first December weekend.”

The effort has grown significantly, with the Cub Scouts collecting a total of 113,000 pounds of food from about 1,800 households over the years.

“I’m thankful for the people that give. There’s four types of people,” Harcourt said. “The people that give, the people that wanted to, but forgot, the people who didn’t participate, but the most important part are the people who needed it and couldn’t afford to give.”

In 2011, Harcourt was named Volunteer of the Year in New Castle for his contributions to the community, including organizing the town’s 125th-anniversary parade.

“We did a walk through time,” Harcourt said. “We started with the Ute Indians, fur trappers, railroad being built, saloon ladies, miners, world war 1 and 2 uniforms, cavalry units with canons and horses, a giant one-wheel bicycle, a cowboy, Teddy Roosevelt, a lot of history in Colorado.”

Harcourt said his community involvement is about ensuring the success of events and programs.

“I don’t want to see them fail,” he said. “It generates a lot of interest from the community, for the food drive and then kids participating in the derby.”

For fly fishing lessons or guide trips, visit Harcourt Fly Fishing 3G at harcourtflyfishing.com.