2011 Event Raised $20,000 to Benefit Spinal Injury Patients
SOUTH BIMINI, BAHAMAS (April 25, 2012) — Bimini Sands Resort & Marina will host the 2nd Annual Lionfish Bash in honor of The Woody Foundation on July 13-15, 2012. This popular family event, held on the Bahamas gateway island of South Bimini, combines a fun weekend of fishing and entertainment with an environmental education theme. The Lionfish Bash also will raise funds to benefit spinal injury patients. Title sponsors of the 2012 Lionfish Bash include Bimini Sands, Dade Medical College and Brown & Brown Insurance of Florida, Inc. Marine Division.
The Lionfish Bash was created in 2011 to raise awareness about lionfish, an invasive species that poses a threat to the Bahamas and Florida ocean ecosystem. Participants in this year’s event will enjoy a day of spearfishing in the vivid blue waters around Bimini, a welcome happy hour and a festive Awards Dinner at the resort’s upscale Bimini Twist Restaurant at The Beach Club. Prizes will be awarded for the Largest Lionfish, Smallest Lionfish, Largest Jr. Angler Lionfish and the Most Lionfish Caught.
The 2nd Annual Lionfish Bash entry fee of $150 per boat for guests staying at Bimini Sands also includes a goodie bag, t-shirts, raffle tickets and more. All participants receive 10 percent off dockage and condo rentals at Bimini Sands Resort & Marina. (The event also is open those not staying at Bimini Sands Resort & Marina for an entry fee of $200.)
The first Lionfish Bash, held at Bimini Sands last July, raised $20,000 on behalf of The Woody Foundation, which donated the full amount to Jackson Rehabilitation Hospital in Miami, Florida. The Woody Foundation, a 401(c)(3) organization, was founded by James “Woody” Beckham and his family in 2011, after the then-22-year-old athlete sustained a spinal cord injury in a college rugby match that rendered him paralyzed from the chest down. Woody inspired all the participants in the 1st Annual Lionfish Bash by attending the event in person just a few months after his injury.
The donation was earmarked to purchase new therapeutic equipment for Jackson Rehabilitation Hospital and to help fund its innovative recreational therapy program, which helps spinal cord injury patients re-enter the world outside the hospital.
ABOUT BIMINI SANDS: Located just 50 miles from Miami on the Bahamas gateway island of South Bimini, this year-round resort features luxury one-, two- and three-bedroom villas with beach or marina views, a full-service marina accommodating boats up to 100 feet, two freshwater swimming pools, upscale dining—including the island’s only sushi bar—and a full suite of eco-tourism water-sports activities. Minutes from Bimini International Airport with service to the U.S. East Coast and Nassau, its idyllic location offers spectacular views of Bimini’s luminous blue waters, sunsets over the Gulf Stream, coral reefs and a secluded ocean beach just steps from your door. Family-owned and operated for more than 15 years, Bimini Sands Resort & Marina is one of the Bahamas’ best-rated family vacation destinations. For more information, visit www.biminisands.com.