Fishing tourney to boost local United Way
Published 2:44 pm Wednesday, June 13, 2018
By Ken Stickney
Area anglers may catch some bass and the United Way of Mid and South Jefferson County may net some needed funding Saturday at the Reel United Bass Tournament at Umphrey Pavilion, Lake Sam Rayburn, 5438 Sam Rayburn Pkwy., Brookeland.
Janie Johnson, CEO of United Way, said the first-year event is the brainchild of Dustin Loden and friends at Valero in Port Arthur.
Johnson said first-year events are generally unpredictable, but she said Loden, a bass fishing enthusiast, had great ideas and Valero, the local United Way’s most stalwart support, is all in for the event.
“Other organizations have successful fishing tournaments, but it takes the right people and the right person heading it up,” said Johnson, who expressed confidence that this fishing event is an emerging winner for both anglers and the United Way. “It’s very fortunate that Valero has a couple of those people.”
Loden, a Vidor native and chief reliability inspector for the Valero plant, said he was looking for ways to contribute to the community and a fishing-related event seemed like a natural for him. He said he respects the United Way and how they accomplish things in the community.
Valero conducted its first-ever million-dollar campaign for United Way of Mid & South County in 2017.
Loden has been participating in fishing tournaments himself for about five years but never managed one.
Loden said he approached Barbara Phillips, Valero’s public affairs manager, about the idea and the two put together some rules and pamphlets. He said he was pleased that Phillips had confidence in him to lead a fishing tournament, which hadn’t been done at the Valero plant before.
Then they approached Johnson with the idea about six months ago.
Johnson said the tournament would need about 40 boats and $10,000 in sponsorships to break even. So far, the tournament has signed up 70 teams — a team is one boat and two people — and has drawn $24,000 in sponsorships.
“He had some good ideas,” Johnson said of Loden. She said the tournament at Sam Rayburn — perhaps a 75-minute drive from Beaumont — will start at daybreak and end at 3 p.m. She said the tournament also holds promise of establishing itself in the event’s first year.
Entry costs $140 per team — same-day signups are available — and sponsorships range from $500 to $2,000. There is no cap on participants.
To register, call 409-729-4040 or go to www.unitedwaymsjc.org.
