FIVE FLORIDA SCHOOLS NAMED FIRST RECIPIENTS OF FLW FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL FISHING GRANTS

Funds help establish new or expand existing High School Fishing clubs

MINNEAPOLIS (June 7, 2016) – In celebration of National Fishing and Boating Week (June 4-12), Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) is proud to announce the first five awards as part of the FLW Foundation Florida High School Fishing grant program.

The first five grant recipients are:

• Academy of Environmental Science, Crystal River, Fla.
• Lake Wales Senior High School, Lake Wales, Fla.
• Pasco Middle School, Dade City, Fla.
• South Dade Senior High School, Homestead, Fla.
• Space Coast Junior/Senior High School, Cocoa, Fla.

The grants, offered through a two-year initiative with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), are available to Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school fishing clubs in Florida in the amount of up to $500 per school to establish new or expand existing clubs.

“High School Fishing is a great opportunity for kids to experience the outdoors and this money will certainly help us build the club for next season,” said Leroy Owens, co-sponsor of the South Dade Senior High School fishing team. “We’re going to purchase some fishing rods and small tackle boxes for some of our anglers who are just starting, and we’re also going to buy some banners and signage to promote the club and develop the program. These kids want to do this and are very excited.”

The Florida High School Fishing grant initiative will help recruit new anglers, retain existing anglers during a critical developmental period and reactivate lapsed anglers, including parents and grandparents, eager to support fishing as a high school sport. Florida High School Fishing clubs that have at least 10 SAF members or are interested in becoming an SAF-affiliated club and are recognized by their school are eligible and encouraged to apply for the grants.

“Our program just finished our first year, and I think High School Fishing is a great way to reach students that did not want to participate in traditional sports but still want to be involved in school activities,” said Jennifer Cotton, sponsor of the Space Coast Senior/Junior High School fishing team. “We plan to use these funds to purchase jerseys and hats for the team to have a more official uniform. We hope to expand the club to participating in tournaments this year and looking the part will help boost the kids’ confidence.”

The Florida High School Fishing Grant Application is available at FLWFishing.com/Foundation. Applications are generally reviewed within three to five business days, but may be as long as four weeks. School sponsors are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

More information on the FLW Foundation is available at FLWFishing.com/Foundation.

About Fishing League Worldwide (FLW)

FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Periscope: @FLWFishing.

About the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF)

RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns to create awareness around boating, fishing and conservation, and educate people about the benefits of participation. Take Me Fishing and Vamos A Pescar help boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan and equip for a day on the water. The campaign websites, TakeMeFishing.org, and VamosAPescar.org, feature how-to videos, information on how to get a fishing license and boat registration, and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots.

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