2013 EVENTS

Our 11th annual tournament, held April 20th, proved just how dedicated – and salty – our anglers really are. Temperature records were broken for the coldest day since 1926! You wouldn’t have known it, though, from the amount of fish brought to the scale. Anglers came in shivering and shaking but what great catches they were! Trout were especially huge this year. Derrick Allen broke the tournament record with a whopping 7.80 pounder. (As a comparison, 5th place trout this year would have been 1st place in last years tournament.) Click here for the complete listing of all the winners. Congratulations and thanks for your support.

Be sure to check out the 2013 photo gallery for great pictures !

To see information on previous years tournaments, select the year from the Events link above.

Dream Child Jake and his family are a delight. We’re looking forward to fulfilling their dream this summer when they go on their first vacation in five years with the entire family. They will visit relatives in Tennessee and visit area attractions.

OUR 2013 DREAM CHILD – Jake

 

 

 


 

Community Hospice’s pediatric program, Community PedsCare, has chosen Jake as our dream child for the 11th Annual Fishing for Dreams tournament.

In 1996, we were expecting our first two children, Jake and Brandt, identical twin boys. In the 26th week of the pregnancy, Brandt passed away in utero due to T.T.T.S. (twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome). Even in the womb, Jake was a fighter and survived 9 more weeks until the doctors determined he was strong enough to endure the delivery. On May 28, 1996, Jake was born, appearing very normal, but it was quickly noted that his head was small. An MRI showed severe brain injuries from a blood clot passed through the placenta from his twin. As a result of this brain damage, Jake is microcephalic (small head) and has cerebral palsy, cortical blindness, respiratory problems, and seizures. He has had many surgeries in his lifetime, the most impactful being spinal fusion for scoliosis in 2006. That is the ugly, medical side of the story. The beautiful side of the story is that God has given us a wonderful gift in Jake. No, it has not been an easy life…I don’t think we will ever get used to watching our child endure pain and suffering. However, we have learned so much from Jake, most importantly to keep life simple and celebrate the good days! Jake’s smile and laugh are his best qualities. Jake’s favorite thing is music, specifically classic rock. We joke that music is as important as oxygen for him to be healthy! Jake has two younger siblings, Eliza and Brennan. They like to sing and make their own music for Jake and have even made their own home movies of themselves, singing his favorite songs. Our Fishing For Dreams wish is to take a family road trip to Tennessee to visit Jake’s grandparents. For the last five years, Jake’s health has been unstable and we have not been able to travel with him. Now that his health has stabilized and we have more equipment to assist his airway issues, we are feeling much more confident to take him out of the state. It will take some extra planning, but we are excited to be able to enjoy this time together as a family again. We are so thankful to the volunteers at Fishing For Dreams who are helping us with this wish that is meaningful to all of us (Jake’s grandparents, too)!
 
To read updates on former Dream Children, click here.

Fishing for Dreams Tournament 2013 Winners

 

Red Bass

Spotted Seatrout

Flounder

1st Chad Smith 7.21 lbs. Derrick Allen 7.80 lbs. Kyle Leonheardt 3.78 lbs.
2nd Jared Head 7.19 lbs. Jimmy Colvin 6.55 lbs. Richie Van Kirk 3.15 lbs.
3rd Floyd Register 6.87 lbs. Brian Sousa Sr 6.48 lbs. Mike Sup 3.08 lbs.
4th Jill Duke 6.68 lbs. Brad Haney 6.41 lbs. Leroy Kinlaw 2.54 lbs.
5th Ereck Brown 6.53 lbs. Dillon Drury 5.88 lbs. David Kersey 2.39 lbs.
Bass with Most Spots – Julie Barnes – 11 spots

 

Fishing for Dreams Tournament Record Holders (as of 2013)

Red Bass David Edwards 8.69 LBS. 2008
Spotted Seatrout Derrick Allen 7.80 LBS. 2013 (NEW!)
Flounder Scott Shank 6.46 LBS. 2008