Pinellas County Big Brothers & Big Sisters
Author:
John Hadden This past Saturday, August 13th, the Pinellas County Big Brothers & Big Sisters held its very first fishing tournament at Fort DeSoto Park. 17 children, ages 9 to 14, and their big brother or sister were treated to a morning of fishing with some of the best professional fishing guides the area has to offer.
Laptop Battery The weather cooperated and provided us with some of the best conditions for fishing that anyone could ask for. The wind was light, the sun bright, and the bite was on!
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Thinkpad Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE caught lots of different fish. Snook, Trout, Shark, Flounder, Ladyfish, Redfish, Bluefish, thisfish and thatfish all came over the side and put smiles the size of Tampa Bay on lots of faces!
I am still working with Conqueror of the Hill, Lucent, along with another mentoring program called VIPS (Volunteer mentoring program in Bergen County, similar to Big Brothers program).
Microsoft For many, it was their first fishing trip. Can you imagine your very first fishing trip being with a veteran captain and then to be taken to some of their very favorite spots to boot? It was such a treat to see the look of anticipation as the kids and their adults waited in the parking lot for the boats to arrive.
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Laptop Computers Meanwhile, the captains had been on the water in search of bait long before anyone showed up at the site. As the parade of these beautiful fishing machines arrived back at the ramp, the look on the children's faces as they got onboard was a real treat to watch, and brought back really great memories to me of my first chartered trip.
What are your plans for Saturday, November 24 (other than sitting around, thinking up ways to eat leftover turkey!) Instead, why not come out to join Choppers, hogs and cycles from all over SW Florida as they cruise through Collier County supporting a great cause and looking for a decent poker hand! Laura Jo Smith from L&V's Biker Group is hosting 2nd Annual "Big's Motorcycle Poker Run" with proceeds going to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Florida.
Laptop Computer I can remember how much that first trip influenced my life on the water. Being shown there really are lots of fish to catch out there gave me the willingness to stick with it, and not give up on the sport based on a few poor experiences while fishing from shore. I'll not forget it, and I'm sure these kids won't forget this day, either.
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Desktop Computer Now, what follows is going to sound like a major plug for the folks involved, and I'll shamelessly admit, nothing could be truer. These people gave of themselves, their time, and merchandise in order to make a bunch of kids and adults really happy. That in itself is priceless, and if I had anything to say about it, they'd all get solid gold medals.
Notebooks Chrystal Murray went above and beyond the call in her selfless commitment to organize the event and make sure the tourney went off without a hitch. Capt Dave Markett put together a group of some of the finest captains in the area. A hearty thanks goes out to these captains for donating their time and equipment to give the kids a lifetime of memories in four short hours:
Lenovo Capt Dave Markett, Capt Mike Plastic, Capt. Mike Anderson, Capts. Lori & Larry Deaton, Capt. Dale Fields, Capt. Bob Goodwin, Capt. James Goodwin, Capt. Brian Hart, Capt. Dan Hicks, Capt. Don Mason, Capt. Joe Reis, Capt. Ron Scott, Capt. Richard Seward, Capt. Wayne Shuff, Capt. Tom Tamanini, Capt. Mark Thomas, Capt. Jon Turner, Capt. Arthur Price, Capt. Mike Bowles, Capt. Bo Johnson.
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Travelstar This event would not have been possible with out the help and support of these organizations and individuals: Donna McGill and Evan Grimaldi Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County, Outback Steakhouse Inc., Organon Pharmaceuticals and Gus Corso, Landings Bait and Tackle, Southeast Liquidators Tackle, Minnows and Monsters Tackle, Bill Myers, Jeff Berardelli and TV Channel 10, Capt Mel Berman of AM 970 WFLA radio, Capt Ray Markham of Florida Sportsman Live radio, and Frank Sargeant of the Tampa Tribune, Steve Allred, Penny Ruilova, Kelly LaCross, Jim Bourland, John Willis, and Lisa Clifton.
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Laptop Parts After an awesome morning of fishing, everyone gathered at one of the pavilions at Fort DeSoto's East Beach for the awards ceremony. Some great food and fluids (Lots of fluids!) after a hot morning of fishing was just what everyone needed.
Software In addition to the great memories, each angler was rewarded with a trophy, a new fishing rod and reel, t-shirt, bait bucket loaded with line and tackle, and a tackle bag loaded with lots of other goodies.
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Electronics The event was such a success that plans are already underway for next year's tournament. Hopefully it will continue to be an annual event for many years to come. I know I'll be back there!
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