The 2013 SFEC Kids’ Surf Fishing Tournament was held on Saturday, August 31.
Tournament Co-chairs Ed DiMarcantonio and Mike Olley did a super job coordinating the event.
Rosemarie Whelan, Linda Phillips and Rose Rhine registered 194 kids for this 10th Annual Kids’ Fishing Tournament. It was one of our largest turnouts ever and the event was a huge success.
Thanks to My Wife’s Rod and Reel Repair Shop and the donations “In Memory of Ollie Twist”, the kids all received a free tee shirt.
Thanks also to our sponsors Joseph Boyle Nationwide Insurance Agent, Southampton Window Cleaning (the Geibs), Batarama (George Shute) and Riordan Real Estate, there were also free bloodworms, fishing rigs and sinkers for all 194 kids.
This is a picture of the kids who helped on Friday to take 800 bloodworms out of the flats and put them into bags of four each.
Here they are giving the bloodworms a “taste test” to be sure they’ll taste good to the fish!
Although the wind was pushing out of the southeast, the fishing was good and there were lots of spot, kingfish and sharks that enjoyed the bloodworms for breakfast.
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Following two hours of fishing, Chicago Uno Grill (The Boks) supplied hot dogs and chips for all the kids (and parents).
The fishing winners were as follows;
Olivia Nickel, age 5, bluefish 13.5″;
Matt Pisacane, age 13, kingfish 12″;
Max Cogan age 12, kingfish 12″.
Over 50 kids received fishing prizes donated by My Wife’s Rod and Reel, Sea Isle Bait and Tackle, Whale Creek Marina and Two Chums Bait and Tackle as Connie Twist drew the winning tickets.
Here Ed makes the announcements with Connie.
While the prizes were being awarded Ernie Phillips sold over $500 of SFEC tee shirts, Nightmare coffee mugs (all sold out) and picture frames for the Strathmere Fire Company. Beth DiMarcantonio and Christine Furey sold over $1,000 of raffle tickets.
The raffle winners, drawn by Ollie Twist the 3rd, were as follows:
1. Bicycle to Donna Stephenson
2. Phillies Tickets to Emily DiMarcantonio (Let’s hope she takes her dad !)
3. Fishing rod and reel to Steve Parochio
4. Fishing Cart to Courtney McDaniel
A certificate of appreciation was presented to Bill Alexander of My Wife’s Rod and Reel Repair Shop for his 10 years of support to this event.
A professional photo of an osprey was given to Dick Omrod for his efforts as the builder and the leader of the club’s efforts to install and maintain 19 osprey platforms.
Co-Chairs Mike Olley and Ed DiMarcantonio want to thank all the members of the SFEC who went above and beyond to pull this event off as smoothly as it did.
They say,
“Our club should be very proud of this event and each of its volunteers. So many parents and kids came up to thank us while telling us it was a great event and they can’t believe it is all free and it was so much fun.
“Every year there is at least one family that has never surf fished before this tournament. If our club gets a kid or a family to surf fish for the first time then our club is the big “winner” of the day.
“Thanks again for all of your help. We are looking forward to year 11. Please forward to us any comments or suggestions to make one of the best kids’ tournaments in New Jersey even better next year.”
Here are pictures of the kids and their prizes:
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And a great time was had by all!!!
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