Make a Wish Foundation

sageadvice · Jul 27, 2008

Big trout fishing tournament on Lake Almanor Aug 2nd. The Make a Wish Foundation, Fish for a Wish Trout Tourny. Last year there was about 50-60 guys entered but only a couple kids for the junior division. Lots of people showed for the weigh-in and festivities. Great time, Good Cause, Super Folks! Hosted by Big Cove Resort, talk to AJ @ 530-596-3349 $50. entry + $15 optional for very nice "big fish" prize. I won first in the tourny and big fish, year before last. No prize money involved, not the point, but some really great prizes, mini-vacations, and loads of other neat stuff donated by many individuals and businesses in the surrounding communities.

I'd be more than happy to point you toward fish or answer any questions that you may have. This tourny has become a focal point, social event, touching bases, that i and many other trout guys look forward to participating in and watching get bigger each and every year for a long time to come, raising $$ for this great foundation... And, we have a blast doing it!

Joey

Wiszard · Jul 27, 2008

Joey- It is very ironic that you bring up Make a Wish because we just got back from Florida on a Make a Wish trip. My 11 year old daughter, Stevie, was a recipient of a granted wish. To make a long story short, she's got aortic stenosis and a pacemaker which the two are completely unrelated. She's had open heart surgery and will have many others in order to maintain her health. She's the sweetest, good-hearted kid you'll ever meet. Her wish was to swim with dolphins so they sent our entire family to the Discovery Cove in Florida. We also were able to go to the various parks in Disney World as well as Sea World. It was awesome! Go to www.DiscoveryCove.com and you can see what we were able to do. Make a Wish is a fantastic foundation and I have given two presentations on our trip and the Make a Wish foundation since we got back on the 21st. They make "health-challenged" kids feel special and turns their problem, whatever their certain situation is, into something positive....at least for a while. My daughter will have this memory of swimming with dolphins for the rest of her life. As she gets older, she'll realize that that was a fun time in her life, but the important thing is that she knows how it felt to have someone else do something special for her. I'd bet my life, she'll do special things for others. Good for you and all of your other buddies for getting involved with such a great foundation. There needs to be more of you out there! Take care buddy. I'll put a few pics on of our trip.

Stevie with one of the dolphins.

Family Picture

Check out the background....this is in a McDonalds!! That is my son. He wanted his picture taken with the alligator. He's 7!

Steve

sageadvice · Jul 27, 2008

Steve, Neat story bud. i Hope everything works out for your daughter. Looks like a cool kid! In fact, neat looking family alltogether cept maybe that dude in there.lol! Glad to hear that she got her wish.

Isn't that neat that there is a organization "out there" that's doing these kinds of things for these kids? I think it's totally awesome!

Our little tournament probably doesn't raise all that much money, i think lasts years total raised or donated was $30K, but between all the fund raisers nation wide, they do make a lot dreams come true, for a lot of sick kids and their families. I'm a bit of a soft touch even if i can't afford to donate a lot to any one org, i do help out in one way or another with more than a few. Hunting and fishing have been a lifelong passion. It's nice when you get to combine a fishing day on the lake with a good friend, pitted up against some of the best and well known trout fisherman in the area, all in the name of sportsmenship, compitition, and charity! A great event!! It just don't get any better than that!

Joey

Wiszard · Jul 27, 2008

I'm in the same boat you are as far as donations go. I don't have the funds to give but I'm more than willing to offer my time and energy with whatever is needed. $30K is not a small number. I was surprised to read that they bring in that much. Like you said, if you get to fish and raise money at the same time, you're a lucky man!
This is a little off the subject but do you know anyone who raises pheasants? I'm the secretary of the Santa Maria Valley Sportsmans Association and we put a Junior Pheasant Hunt on every year and prices have gone nuts for birds. Guys want $13-$15 per bird and thats not delivered. We need around 150-160 birds....50/50 mix roosters and hens. If you know of anyone, let me know. We want to shop the best price we've got right now which is $13 a bird. Thanks Joey!

Steve

sageadvice · Jul 28, 2008

Steve, No, i can't think of any contacts on getting birds for your club. I mentioned awhile back how neat i thought your Sportsmen Association was. Just posting your want here might get you a PM or two, never know...

In the mean time, though i'll never get down that way, that i can see anyway, is it possible for me to become a small supporter or absent member or your S. Ass. Yearly dues? application? or just send money? Sometimes every bit helps, eh? let me know, ok?

Related, Did you happen to find out any good news on the liability insurance for your club's activities? You posted a need/want here in these pages and i saw a reply or two but never heard if you got the rate down to manageable.

Joey

larrbo · Jul 29, 2008

I will see you on the lake Saturday. My son-in-law is coming up to fish with me.

sageadvice · Jul 29, 2008

Great Larry, glad to see you join in the fun!

The lake has been slow from some reports. Might be tough...

The smoke, what smoke, is about gone. Today, looking across the lake from the causway, clear as tear for as far as you care to look.

Joey

Wiszard · Jul 29, 2008

Hey Joey- You can become a member of the Santa Maria Valley Sportsmans Association. Our dues are $30 a year. We are not a huge club with only about 150 paid members from January-September. As it gets closer to the Big Buck Contest, our membership grows to about 300. A lot of guys just sign up so they can be a part of the Buck Contest. At the Buck Contest we give away about 14 guns of all sorts as well as about 40 other prizes ranging from $15-$150. We give silver belt buckles for the biggest buck, biggest forked horn, best bow buck (which I won three years ago), and judges pick. We have a horseshoe tournament, BBQ and beer and wine for sale. It's a fun time and the club makes a little bit of money on it. If you are interested in becoming a member, let me know. That is really nice of you...although I don't want you to feel obligated in any way since you live all the way up North.

As far as the birds go, we haven't placed an order for birds yet. We're still checking prices.

Our insurance issue was taken care of. We got a policy with the NRA which cost $9.13 per member. That is about double what we were paying but our last insurance company dropped us when they heard we were having a pheasant hunt. Dropped us on the spot. Talk to you later.

Steve

sageadvice · Jul 30, 2008

Steve, Sent PM, Thanks, joey

sageadvice · Aug 2, 2008

In case anybody might be interested, here a brief recap of how the tourny went. Nice sunny day, slight chop, smoke, but not too bad.

The winner weighed in a 5 fish limit of just over 18lbs. Pick of several Vacations

The big fish prize, Trophy, prizes and a big flat screen TV, was won by a 7 1/2 lb german brown trout

Though i caught 3 decent fish totaling about 6.5lbs, i didn't place. We caught our fish using speedyshiners 40 ft down in 50 foot of water.

Fishing was tough, even more so than expected. Lots of guys brought in -0-

I did win, on raffle tickets, 3 "better" quality rods, spooled reels, a wicker creel, and a big enough rod holder case to hold all three sets. OH, and a pair of 12 volt coffee mugs. That's right, 12 volt coffee mugs. Whata ______?

Good time had by all!

... And, I got to meet Larrbo, great guy!

Joey

Wiszard · Aug 2, 2008

Joey- Congrats on the rods at least. It was for a good cause and those 12 volt coffee mugs will sell on ebay for about $3.75 a piece!! HaHa. I never have used one of those mugs. My coffee is usually gone by the time it gets cold. Anyway, sorry too hear about the fishing no being so good. A bad day on the water is better than a good day at work, right? By the way, I am sending out the SMVSA membership for you on Monday. Sorry, I lagged. I sent you the newsletter from last month so you can take a look at it. I'll talk to you later.

Steve

mod700 · Aug 5, 2008

Hey joey, sounds like a good time, next year give us a reminder a couple of months ahead of time and well make it..
Thannks!
Mike

sageadvice · Aug 5, 2008

Mike, You betcha!

Be glad to help this tourny become even bigger and better than it already is. A.J., the high school student who runs this tourny, because he had a friend receive a wish before..., really does a great job getting this all put together. Hats off to AJ Cassilla, Big Cove Resort, Lake Almanor.

Joey