FLW Hits $1 Million Mark for Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Martin, Hunter win annual Will Fish for Kids tournament
Every year the FLW Tour makes an annual trek to northwest Arkansas to visit Beaver Lake. However, the action doesn’t stop after the tournament is finished. The FLW Will Fish for Kids (WFFK) Bill Kerr Memorial Charity Tournament, presented by Quaker State, took place on Beaver Lake Monday following the conclusion of the Beaver Lake Tour stop.
Once the final count had been tallied, the 2017 event raised a total of $60,703 for the Dental Clinic at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Since 2005, WFFK has raised a grand total of $1,001,297 for the clinic.
“This money is going directly to our dental unit at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock,” says Elizabeth Sullivan, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital senior development officer, annual gifts. “For the pros to stick around a few extra days to help raise money for our community – it’s just special and a really great event. Everyone has so much fun and it’s for such a great cause. We’re truly excited and thankful for FLW and Walmart for this event.”
FLW Tour pro James Watson of Lampe, Mo., was the WFFK honorary chairperson this year. Entry fees paid by pro contestants and Walmart employees, as well as corporate boat sponsorships, were collected prior to the tournament. That money was combined with funds raised at Sunday night’s banquet and silent auction and the check for more than $60,000 was delivered on the weigh-in stage to Sullivan.
On the fishing side of things, Scott Martin and David Hunter won the event with a limit weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces. Though the charity tournament was not nearly as strenuous or stressful as the FLW Tour event, catching a solid limit on a muddy Beaver Lake was still quite a feat. The duo focused on stained water with a green tint and fished flooded brush and wood. A spinnerbait and vibrating jig did the bulk of the heavy lifting for them.
“We had a lot of fun today, but at the end of the day this is all for a really great cause,” says Martin. “My hat is off to FLW and Walmart for all of the money that they raise for the Children’s Hospital. It is an honor to be a part of this. My partner David is a great fisherman and I hope we get to do this again.”
The top 10 teams
1st: Scott Martin and David Hunter – 14-14 (5) $3,000
2nd: Jeremy Thomas – 13-12 (5) $2,000
3rd: Old Spice pro Greg Bohannan and Jason Adams – 13-7 (5) $500
3rd: Jim Moynagh and Milton Polk – 13-7 (5) $500
5th: Yamamoto Baits pro Larry Nixon and Jeff George – 12-14 (5)
6th: General Tire pro Mark Rose and Jim Enneking – 12-12 (5)
7th: Jason Sanders and Brian Gripe – 12-6 (4)
8th: Shane Michele and Bobby Dennis – 11-15 (5)
8th: Keith Daffron and Ronnie Davidson – 11-15 (5)
10th: Ben Fulcher and Don Herbert – 11-14 (5)
A complete list of results can be found at WillFishForKids.com.
More photos from the event
