The Stuart Sailfish Club will host the 40th annual Jr. Angler Tournament this summer August 10-11. The event will take place at the Sailfish Marina in Stuart and is open to member and non-member youth age 6-18 years old. The club sponsors children from the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches in Live Oak and Bartow as well as local groups of disadvantaged youth, including those who are residents of Lahia House, a local home for underprivileged children. This year, 80 youth are expected to participate in the event.
The tournament offers kids a real offshore fishing experience that includes going through a true weigh in, training on catch and release, fishing ethics, safety, knot tying and more. The children are each given a rod, reel, tackle boxes and angler bags filled with hats and school supplies. A large part of the experience are the raffles and awards. Each child is given a ticket for a chance to win bikes, skateboards and other fun prizes. A barbeque lunch is provided for participants and volunteers after fishing.
“This is the very best event we do each year,” said club president Charlie Conigliaro. “Being able to offer these kids a fun day of fishing and boating means so much to them and to our members. The support of our sponsors and volunteers is amazing because it’s such a rewarding day. Even the member’s kids really get into helping these kids have a great time. In past tournaments, our member’s kids who won bikes at the event donated them to the children at the Ranches and Lahia House. Just seeing this kind of generosity and love is really heartwarming.”
Donations are being sought for the event, including, bikes, skateboards, helmets, backpacks and other age-appropriate items. Cash contributions are also welcome. To make a donation, contact Cheryl, at the Stuart Sailfish Club, (772) 286-9373 or sailfish@stuartsailfishclub.com. Sailfish Marina is located at 3585 SE St Lucie Boulevard, Stuart.
